Newleaf
by Coqui's Song
Summary: A kit is born while ShadowClan is led by Brokenstar. She and her littermates are apprenticed to drive WindClan out, but when two of her litter survive- her and her brother, Littlepaw- Brokenstar will stop at nothing to kill them himself.
1. Prologue

**Hi, guys! This is my first story, and I'm soooo glad it's a Warriors story! I'm sort of in a dark mood this week, so I figured I'd use it as inspiration. One good thing about me: I never have writer's block. If I have NO idea what to do for one story, I write another. Hehe.**

**Disclamer: I don't own Warriors, obviously, even though I REALLY want to.**

**_Edit:_ This is Coqui from the future. I have rewritten some stuff. All chapters that are rewritten will say so, and revisions will be slow.**

_Newleaf_

By: _Coqui's Song_

Prologue

_A dark tom sat alone in his den._ He'd been leader of ShadowClan for only a moon, yet he was confident that he and his warriors would rule the entire forest. First drive out the pitiful excuse for a Clan, WindClan. Then they'd have more food for their kits, but soon they'd need more.

He didn't want to drive out ThunderClan or RiverClan- they'd soon need ShadowClan's help, to survive, but he wanted them to share their hunting grounds with his Clan. The more hunting territory his Clan had, the better.

A brown head stuck in his den. "Brokenstar, would you like to hear my report?" it was Clawface, a close friend of his. But Brokenstar was in no mood to be friendly. He wanted to think of his plans to get more hunting grounds.

But he replied, "Yes, Clawface. Go ahead."

"The WindClan cats aren't going to give up their hunting grounds. Our patrol came across a WindClan patrol, and we asked peacefully if they could share their rabbits. They said no, that Clans have never shared hunting grounds before, and that it would be un-warrior-like," he informed Brokenstar.

The young ShadowClan leader narrowed his yellow eyes, which glinted with malice in the darkness of his den. His father's stale scent was still clinging to the walls, but what did Brokenstar care? His father had never realized what potential ShadowClan had, the potential to rule over the whole forest. Brokenstar lashed his tail in annoyance at the weaklings of WindClan and their foolish pride.

He smiled malevolently. WindClan's own pride would be their downfall.

"We will deal with that soon," Brokenstar promised his trusted friend, "but first, we need more warriors. If we are to force WindClan into this, we must look strong. We must look as if we have more cats, more warriors, and we should. Dawncloud's kits will be three moons old next moon. We cannot wait until they are six moons old, it would take too long, and no other kits are close to six moons. So we will apprentice them at three moons."

Clawface unsheathed his claws. "That is a good plan, Brokenstar." He didn't go against it at all. "Who first?"

Brokenstar's amber eyes glinted. "Newkit, Squirrelkit, Littlekit and Badgerkit."

**Hi. Coqui from the future again. I rewrote _some _of the prologue as well as fixed some minor grammar issues which tend to freak me out when ever I reread them. So. Yeah. I know it's still short. But I really can't think of anything else to write.**

**I don't expect any reviews, but if you happen to drop one by me, I'd be ecstatic. SO just press the blue button... you know it beckons you...**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	2. Apprenticeship

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**I know I posted the chapter twice, I'm still getting used to the whole updating thing, because I'm kinda a new member. (Ahem, since Sunday) So thank you! And thank you logan, who really made me want to update! **

_**Edit: **_**Coqui from the future again. I edited some stuff, tried to make the main less annoying (to my failure) but whatever.**

Chapter One

_She awoke to the sound of _Squirrelkit and her brothers quarreling. Blinking open her blue eyes, she struggled to focus on Littlekit's voice as he argued with Badgerkit and Squirrelkit, her siblings. Newkit sighed and pushed herself up to her paws.

Squirrelkit was her only sister; Badgerkit and Littlekit her brothers.

Her mother was Dawncloud, an older queen, no doubt this would be her last litter, Newkit thought sadly, yet she was her mother, and they loved each other dearly. Nightpelt, a senior warrior, was their father, and though Newkit and her littermates barely saw him, whenever he did visit, he was the best father they could ever have thought to have.

"Newkit!" Squirrelkit bowled her over, her pale gray-brown fur fluffed up.

She shook her head. "Squirrelkit, get off, you big lump!" Newkit snarled. She was the runt of the litter, but she wasn't extremely small. And anyway, their own mother was a small cat, and so was Littlekit.

She lifted herself off her, grinning. Newkit stood up, and puffed in annoyance at her sister.

Newkit looked in false dismay at her own fluffy white fur. It was covered in scraps of moss that Squirrelkit had thrown onto her. Her fur was white, but with completely jet-black tail, legs, ears, and muzzle and with black streaks on her back and flanks as well.

She shook her fur, and the scraps of moss were flung from it. Littlekit bounded over and opened his mouth to speak, but Badgerkit pounced on him from behind. Her brothers began to tumble around the den in a play-fight, to which their mother gently scolded them and ordered them outside of the nursery.

Badgerkit and Littlekit carried on with their fight outside, hissing and laughing. Newkit watched silently, and Squirrelkit crouched, her tail twitching as if she was wondering which of her brothers to pounce on. Newkit cuffed her sister affectionately and they too began to fight, kicking and biting each other gently so as to not hurt themselves. Once, Newkit had bitten Badgerkit too hard and in return, he also had bitten her until she yelped in pain.

Suddenly, the four kits were interrupted by a loud call that echoed across the camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Boulderpile for a Clan meeting." The ShadowClan leader's rough voice echoed throughout ShadowClan's camp.

The kits' eyes widened as they stopped their play completely. What could it be? Newkit looked to their mother. "Can we go?"

Recently Brokenstar had been apprenticing many kits, and her friend Darkpaw had been apprenticed as well, along with his brother, Mudpaw, and another litter of kits which included her other friend Sunpaw.

Dawncloud gazed at all four of them, her eyes soft. "If you don't get into mischief." She teased lightly.

Newkit glared at her littermates seriously. "Okay guys, no mischief!" she said, and bolted out of the nursery.

"Yes, because _we're_ the ones who plan it." She heard Badgerkit whisper to Littlekit sarcastically.

Newkit looked back long enough to see Littlekit nodding in agreement at Badgerpaw's comment. "Hey!" she snapped, and her two brothers looked at her innocently. Newkit rolled her eyes; she would never understand toms, even if two of them were her irritating brothers.

Outside, the Clan was gathering near a pile of boulders. The Boulderpile. She and her littermates went over, following their Clanmates. She wanted to see what it was about. Would Brokenstar be apprenticing more kits? If so, who? There weren't many more kits left; only her and her littermates as well as some others.

Brokenstar was on the pile of rocks, gazing down at his Clan. She couldn't get over how different he looked from her other Clanmates. He had an almost flat face, and the rest of the ShadowClan cats were sharp-muzzled, except for their old medicine cat, Yellowfang.

As her brothers and sister settled next to her, he began the meeting. "We are here to witness four Clan kits become apprentices." For a moment, she was completely lost. More kits into apprentices?

"Newkit, Squirrelkit, Littlekit, and Badgerkit!" he yowled. The four mischievous kits looked at each other, puzzled. But they went over it and dashed below the rocks. Brokenstar looked at the kits critically, then said, "These apprentices will now be known as Newpaw, Squirrelpaw, Littlepaw, and Badgerpaw. Foxfur, you will be Newpaw's mentor. Foxfur, you are clever and swift. Pass on these qualities onto Newpaw."

Foxfur, a she-cat that had russet-colored fur muchlike a fox, stepped forward and replied, "Of course, Brokenstar." She touched noses with Newpaw, and she felt a surge of pride that this ferocious she-cat was her mentor. Her green eyes were warm and filled with delight.

"Marshpelt, you will be Squirrelpaw's mentor. Pass on all the things you have learned as an apprentice to her." Marshpelt- a brown tom- looked pleased as the two touched noses.

"Clawface," he turned to one of his most trusted warriors. "You will be Littlepaw's mentor. Clawface, you are a good fighter. I expect you to teach Littlepaw well." Brokenstar narrowed his eyes.

"I plan to, Brokenstar." Clawface growled.

Newpaw narrowed her blue eyes; did Littlepaw look scared at having Clawface as his mentor? The tom was easily four to five times Littlepaw's size, maybe more. They touched noses, but Littlepaw hesitated, fear flashing in his eyes before closing them and accepting Clawface as his mentor.

"And now, Flintfang, you will be Badgerpaw's mentor. You are a new warrior, but I hope you will teach all the things you've been taught." Brokenstar's amber eyes bored on Flintfang, and the young warrior looked even more nervous than before. This bothered newly named Newpaw, but she hardly noticed under the excitement of being an apprentice.

Flintfang looked more nervous than Badgerpaw. He touched noses with my brother. He nodded in acceptance to Brokenstar's words.

Her fluffy white-and-black fur sticking up, Newpaw gazed up at her new mentor. "So, what now?" she asked Foxfur.

"I'll show you our borders. Then you know what to protect. Clawface and Littlepaw will be joining us; I don't know what Flintfang and Marshpelt are planning." Newpaw tried to ignore the dreamy look in her eyes as she mentioned Flintfang.

She shot to the camp entrance. "Well, let's get a move on, then!" Newpaw quickly glanced over her shoulder to see Foxfur shaking her head fondly. She suddenly wondered something. Did Foxfur want kits? It would explain why she was so kind to her.

The two ShadowClan cats sat waiting for Clawface and Littlepaw. Soon, they decided to show up. Littlepaw mewed a small greeting to his sister, and Newpaw purred back at him. "Hello, again, Littlepaw!"

"Well, we should get moving." Clawface meowed.

"Yes, we should," Foxfur agreed calmly, her bushy tail twitching. She got up and stretched her legs, and led the way out of the camp.

Newpaw had never been out of the camp before. She was amazed. The forest was dark and cool, and the forest ground was damp and soft underpaw. The ground was a bit muddy, but it wasn't wet. Just cool. It felt good on her paws. The cold wind buffeted her fluffy white fur and she shivered.

Littlepaw was gazing their surroundings in wonder. "Oh, wow! This is amazing!" he mewed.

Foxfur glanced over her shoulder. "Yes, quite better than ThunderClan's hunting grounds, isn't it?"

Newpaw glared at her mentor. "I wouldn't know. I've never been to ThunderClan's hunting grounds." Anyway, who said that ShadowClan had the better territory? To Newpaw, any territory was as good as any other.

.

Not long after they'd seen the Thunderpath, Newpaw began to feel very tired. She was only a kit, for StarClan's sake! What could she do? She was panting with effort of keeping up now.

She wished she was still in the nursery. Dawncloud would feed her and her littermates some milk, and they'd all share a frog, and then she'd take a nap. Newpaw was almost falling asleep on her paws. Foxfur slowed as she looked at Newpaw over her shoulder. Foxfur worried about the small kit; wanted her to keep up, so she slowed the pace, and Newpaw was grateful for that.

Littlepaw was having trouble, too. Clawface snapped at him to keep up the pace. Littlepaw narrowed his eyes, his fluffy tabby fur bristling. He pushed himself harder, which Newpaw worried about. There was a limit to a kit's seemingly ceaseless energy.

She sped up, matching Littlepaw step for step. He was panting hard, and Newpaw frowned.

Foxfur skidded to a halt. "Stop. This is where we will cross the Thunderpath."

"We have to cross that?" Newpaw blurted out. It was wide expanse of stinky stone was filled with monsters. They'd all die before they left the verge.

"Things are not always what they seem," she growled. She pointed with her muzzle to an entrance to a burrow. "That is how we cross."

"So we go underneath the tunnel," Littlepaw said, "and we're across? Wow!"

"It's a ShadowClan secret. Don't tell any cat," meowed Clawface, frowning distrustfully at the little apprentices.

"Yes, Clawface," Littlepaw nodded obediently, and Foxfur led the way through the tunnel, with Clawface following.

Newpaw and Littlepaw hesitated at the entrance; Newpaw didn't know about what Littlepaw was thinking, but she wasn't sure if it was safe. "It's all right, you two; it's safe. You can come in." Foxfur's melodic voice echoed through the tunnel to them, soothing Newpaw's fears, at least.

The two new apprentices glanced at each other, then tentatively edged their way into the dark tunnel.

**Yeah, so, again, because the story's complete now and I'm just rewriting some stuff, I don't really expect more reviews. But if you're reading this now, PRESS THE BLUE BUTTON. Please? To make me happy?**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	3. Forest

**_Hey guys! _I'm sorry for any confusion on the persons, but I'd originally written it in first person but I didn't like it and I changed it to third person. So sorry for any mistakes you pick up! Thank you for all my reviewers I got yesterday, it really made me feel special that you like my writing and that you favorited me! I, opposed to others, hate my writting. But here we go on with Newpaw's story! **

Chapter Three

_Newpaw and Littlepaw _stepped carefully into the tunnel, following their mentors' scent. A warm breeze washed through it, and almost immediately after Newpaw heard a rumble, getting louder and louder until it nearly deafened her, and she jumped at the suddenness of it, but by then it was gone, and Newpaw, afraid it might happen again, bolted to the light at the other end of the tunnel, followed closely, very closely that he almost tripped over her getting out, by Littlepaw.

Newpaw burst through the other end, and caught her breath nervously. "Was... was that a..."

"It was a monster." said Foxfur soothingly. "Don't worry, though. They can't hurt you if you're inside the tunnel." Foxfur pricked her large ears, and stretched her neck to sniff the air.

Littlepaw had come out as soon as Newpaw's tail had swished out of the tunnel, and now the two kits- _apprenices-_glanced at each other and laughed nervously. "Wow," breathed Littlepaw, and Newpaw nodded in agreement.

Clawface was silent, watching his apprentice with narrowed eyes. Newpaw tried to find emotion there, but couldn't make out anything. Did Clawface care at all about his new apprentice? And what was it in his eyes that made Newpaw so uncomfortable?

"Come," meowed Clawface, and he led the way to a lusher forest. "We must teach you to mark ShadowClan's territory, and the perfect way to do that is by actually doing it. We will show you our border with ThunderClan."

Newpaw's eyes widened. Would she see strange cats with strange scents? Would she see ThunderClan cats? She wanted to. She was curious about how different they were from her own Clan. Her head dizzy with excitement, she decided this would probably be the best day in her life. Maybe. Just maybe.

* * *

As Newpaw and Littlepaw padded on, following their mentors, Newpaw kept looking up high at the high trees. She was used to the sharp scent of pine; here there were so many different scents of so many different trees. She was aware of the cool grass under her paws, and briefly wondered if they were as juicy as they looked. She opened her mouth to scent again, and scented many other kinds of prey as well. As a ShadowClan cat, she was used to eating frogs (they were good!), rats sometimes, mice, and some other kinds of prey. But now, she scented so _many_ different kinds of prey, her mouth watered.

Newpaw could have stayed there, looking at all the greenery, the leaves, the trees, watching but not hunting prey, scenting all those scents all day. She liked it. It was one place were she'd just be able to_ think_. But much sooner than Newpaw had wanted, Foxfur mewed quietly, "Stop. This is the border with ThunderClan. Other Clan cats aren't supposed to cross it unless they have the leader's permission, who is, in this case, Bluestar. We don't have permission, and we're just going to show you to mark your territory, and we'll go on to Fourtrees."

Newpaw frowned. Fourtrees? What was that? She had a guilty feeling she should know, but she was still only three moons old, and her mother hadn't told her everything about being a Clan cat yet. But she wasn't going to embarrass herself by asking what it was. Clawface would probably laugh. Foxfur... she might be a bit more compassionate, gently telling Newpaw and Littlepaw about it, but she didn't want to risk it. Newpaw stayed silent as Foxfur showed how to mark the territory, restlessly looking through the fronds, wanting to see a flash of unrecognizable fur, an unfamiliar face.

"Now you try," said Clawface.

Absentmindedly Newpaw copied what Foxfur had shown them.

"Well done!" purred Foxfur enthusiastically.

Newpaw shyly gazed at her paws. She didn't deserve praise, she had hardly listened. "Thank you," she mumbled.

Foxfur nodded, still purring, and gestured with her head to follow her. "Come now, we will take you to Fourtrees."

Thankfully it was Littlepaw who asked, "Um, excuse me, but, um, what exactly_ is _Fourtees?"

_Thank StarClan Littlepaw asked,_ Newpaw thought, as Foxfur patiently answered, "Fourtrees is a clearing surrounded by four tall old oak trees, as old as the Clans themselves, where the four Clans hold a peaceful gathering under every full moon. It isn't part of any Clan's territory, but we'll go there to see it."

Surprisingly, Clawface made no comment as they pounded through the forest to Fourtrees.

* * *

When they got there, Newpaw sucked in a breath. It was so, so beautiful, that clearing. And being here where the Clans had first been formed, according to Foxfur, it made a shiver go down her spine. She glanced at Littlepaw, and saw similar excitement in his eyes. She decided today was the best day in her life so far. She was sure there would be many other best days ever soon.

"So this is Fourtrees," whispered Newpaw.

"That's right, Newpaw." said Foxfur.

"It's beautiful!"

Foxfur nodded, grinning. "You and your littermates might go to next moon's Gathering. The last one was yesterday."

"Oh, so that's why so many cats left last night!"

The two mentors nodded.

Littlepaw and Newpaw gazed upward at their mentors, pleading with their eyes. Newpaw wanted to go down to the clearing and smell all those different scents. "Please?"

Newpaw didn't have to say anything else, the two warriors already knew what she meant. Immediatly Foxfur nodded and said, "Yes, of course, why not?"

Just as Clawface said, "Of course not."

The two warriors glanced at each other, and Clawface, who was the senior warrior, nodded at Foxfur. "All right," he said, "But not for a long time."

**Is this cliffhangery to you? It seems it is to me, but that's your opinion. REMEMBER TO REVIEW! I would really love some feedback. Thank you!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	4. Fight

**Okay, so I'm really depressed today. Mostly because I got 2nd Violin in my Orchestra Class, when I REALLY have an ear for higher-pitched music, and I've been 1st Violin for two years straight. I was hoping to make that three years straight. Sigh. Well, going to the point, I didn't receive ANY reviews last chapter, and though I forgive you guys (I was going to post either way, I feel I should), I was kind of hoping to see reviews on that chapter. No matter, here's the continuation of Newpaw's story! **

All these different scents made Newpaw dizzy-headed. She smelled sort of a strong, but not unpleasant smell, combined with the scent of cats. "That's RiverClan." She heard Foxfur say. "That strong fishy smell. RiverClan. Remember it."

Newpaw glanced back at her mentor and nodded wordlessly and stowed the scent in her mind so she would remember it and would know what it was. She took a few more steps and scented the air again, and this time a sort of a rabbity scent entered her nostrils. Instantly she knew what it was. "Littlepaw, take a guess at what this scent is!"

Littlepaw bounded over, leaving Clawface, and sniffed it. "Um, I don't know… WindClan maybe?"

"That's what I think too. Foxfur?" she said, craning her head to see her fox colored mentor scenting the air. "Is that scent WindClan?"

Foxfur pricked her ears and sniffed too. She looked at the two young apprentices, pleased, and nodded. "Well done you two! Come with me, I want to show you ThunderClan scent, because we have a border with them."

Newpaw thought. "But didn't you already show us ThunderClan scent when you showed us the border?"

Foxfur chuckled embarrassedly. "No, I might've forgotten that part. But fortunately, the gathering was last night, and so these scents are fairly fresh."

"Okay," said Newpaw, and allowed Foxfur to usher them to the ThunderClan scent she had found.

Foxfur soon after a few paces swished her head, and meowed, "Here it is, you two."

Newpaw and Littlepaw scented it. As soon as the smell wafted up her nose, Newpaw sighed. It smelled of the forest, of tree bark, dirt, and wildflowers. It was strange if you weren't used to it, like Newpaw was; she could almost say it was yucky, before she realized that cats from other Clans might think the same way of ShadowClan.

Clawface padded over. "Okay," he meowed, "Let's get back to our own territory."

The mentors showed them the Carrion Place, were they said that ShadowClan sometimes hunts rats if there aren't many other sources of food.

Newpaw saw some cats there and yelled, "Hey! Get off ShadowClan territory!" She felt really clever and strong as she said that.

The cats had looked up, frightened, and Newpaw realized that they were elders from her own Clan. Their muzzles were gray, their step slow. It was just the elders hunting. Nothing that interesting. After all, all elders hunt for themselves, right?

The mentors and apprentices had moved on, and soon after that, Newpaw was exhausted. She felt as if she couldn't take another step. "Foxfur…" she panted, "I-I'm tired."

"Don't you dare!" snarled Clawface, and Newpaw flinched. "You are ShadowClan. You are strong. ShadowClan cats do not get tired!"

"Clawface, she is a _kit_. Both of them are." Foxfur intervened.

"They are not! Didn't Brokenstar announce them as apprentices just this morning?" he growled.

Foxfur's green eyes glowered at Clawface, but she didn't say anything else. Soon though, they were at the camp entrance, and for that Newpaw was grateful.

Foxfur showed them the apprentices' den, and immediately Newpaw and Littlepaw curled up in their new nests and fell asleep, without even telling their mother nor Squirrelpaw or Badgerpaw about their day. They just fell into deep unconsciousness.

Newpaw opened her eyes and jerked awake. This wasn't the nursery! This was… then it came back to her. She was an apprentice now, with her littermates. She looked around and saw Blossompaw, Marshypaw, Mudpaw, Darkpaw, and Reedpaw waking up, and her littermates blinking awake.

"Newpaw? Squirrelpaw? Littlepaw? Badgerpaw?" Foxfur's voice called them out.

After a quick wash, Newpaw bounded out of the den. "Yes, Foxfur?"

"All of you will be coming with us, me, Clawface, Flintfang, and Marshpelt to learn to fight. Now go and eat something quickly."

Newpaw's eyes widened. Real apprentice stuff! She was going to learn to fight! Little did she know at that time that it would be very, very difficult as she went to the fresh-kill pile to get something to share with her friends and littermates.

"Come on!" Clawface growled. "You're fighting like a kit!"

Newpaw watched in dismay as Littlepaw gritted his teeth and tried to pummel Clawface's belly. Clawface was pinning Littlepaw down, snarling and showing his teeth as if he wanted to kill her brother. Clawface huffed in annoyance and pawed Littlepaw away roughly, and Littlepaw stumbled to the side, looking dazed, his amber eyes cloudy.

Newpaw's eyes widened as she saw blood on her brother's shoulder. She didn't know this was a claws out practice! Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw noticed it, too, and they gasped. "Great StarClan, Littlepaw!" exclaimed Newpaw.

"Are you okay?" asked Squirrelpaw worriedly.

Littlepaw rapidly started to wash his bloodied shoulder, mewing softly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Newpaw! Your turn!" growled Clawface, and instantly Newpaw was nervous. Would he injure her like he did Littlepaw? Why was he picking the smallest ones of the litter? Probably to make sure they were strong, thought Newpaw bitterly. Brokenstar had apparently had other plans for Flintfang, Foxfur and Marshpelt. Clawface was teaching them all today, along with Blackfoot, who was watching with narrowed eyes.

Clawface crouched in front of her, tail swishing. "Well?" he asked impatiently when she didn't fly at him, clawing and biting him.

Newpaw glared at him, then attacked, wanting revenge for her brother's injuries. She clawed him, bit at him, and scratched him. But still Clawface too pinned her down, and Newpaw screeched in fury. His claws dug into her forelegs, making her wince with pain, but she snarled a struggled to be free.

Clawface held her stiff. "That all you can do?" he sneered.

_No, _thought Newpaw,_ I can do this._ And she stretched her neck as far is it could go, and could actually reach Clawface's forelegs with her mouth. _Good. I really can do this,_ she thought, and bit down as hard as she could on his foreleg, until she could taste his disgusting salty blood. He whipped his leg back, stifling a whimper of agony, and glared at her.

"You," he growled, "Can go."

Newpaw didn't care. He could've hurt Littlepaw bad, and herself too. It was satisfying that he felt a little of that pain.

**Okay, so I'm kind of in a hurry, so yeah. NOW it's kind of getting dark. Review!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	5. Interrigation

**Hi guys! I'm less depressed now! Ice cream helped a lot! ;) Anyways, thanks to all who reveiwed! I'm gonna name them: Kstar101, Mossears of RiverClan (Can I just call you Mossears?), and I LOVE WARRIORZ! Here's the some more of Newpaw's story!**

Chapter Five

Newpaw was back at the ShadowClan camp, just outside Brokenstar's den. She was afraid of facing Brokenstar, of course, after what she had done to Clawface, but she was so angry that it almost outwieghed her fear. Her frown that was on her face was anger and annoyance mixed with worry. She clawed at the ground, silently snarling at Clawface. Not only had he hurt Littlepaw, but he'd injured her too! She hadn't stuck around to see if Squirrelpaw or Badgerpaw had been hurt. Clawface had sent her away immediately after their scuffle. Her forelegs had been bleeding, not a lot, but some, after their fight, and Newpaw was desperate for revenge. Did ShadowClan always do this to their apprentices? And if so, why?

Clawface and Blackfoot came out of Brokenstar's den, and Clawface snarled at her. "Brokenstar wishes to see you, Newpaw."

Newpaw hissed at him, and entered the den. "Y-yes, Brokenstar?" she asked.

"Clawface told me what happened," he meowed calmly. Brokenstar was lying on his nest and he had no emotion in his eyes.

She swallowed anxiously. "Y-yes, Brokenstar." By now her legs were shaking, and she forced herself to be stiff.

Brokenstar stood up and padded over to her. "You know you can't treat warriors that way,"

"No," she agreed stiffly.

"Then why'd you do it, Newpaw?" he asked.

"He hurt Littlepaw! While he was doing it he looked like he was going to kill him! And when he said it was my turn, well, I went, sure. But then he hurt_ me_ too. And he taunted me! Because of my size. He asked if it was all I could do. His mistake was that it wasn't all I could do. I bit him hard, I admit. As hard as I could. But I was mad." she explained.

Brokenstar was silent as he took this in. Then he grinned. Newpaw was uneasy about the way he grinned, it looked almost... suspicious? No, that wasn't the word. Scheming? Maybe. Evil? Newpaw's heart almost stopped beating. That was the word. Evil. "Well, Newpaw," he said, "You've learned a lesson today. Do you know what that is?"

"N-no..." she stammered.

Brokenstar growled. "You've learned the meaning of why we are ShadowClan." He came up to her, growling softly, and Newpaw's eyes widened. Was... was he going to hurt her?

She stood paralyzed with fear. The meaning of ShadowClan? What was that? She had learned no lesson; she just did what she did impulsively because she had been angry that she and Littlepaw had been hurt.

She didn't do or say anything as Brokenstar lunged at her and bit her scruff, making it leak out blood, and threw her out of his den.

* * *

She stumbled out of his den, shaking, and at that moment Littlepaw leaped for her. "Great StarClan, Newpaw! What happened?"

"I-I..." she stammered.

Littlepaw's eyes widened as he saw. She hadn't needed to explain; the evidence was on her neck. "You have to see Yellowfang and Runningnose!"

Newpaw shook her head hastily. "No, no! It's okay."

"Newpaw, you're_ not _okay. Look at that wound! Who did it to you?" Littlepaw was very worried.

She glanced down at her paws. "Brokenstar." she mumbled softly.

"Who?" Littlepaw asked, pricking his ears so he could hear her better.

"Brokenstar!" she hissed quietly.

The look on Littlepaw's face was so shocked Newpaw almost thought that he thought that she was lying. Newpaw hoped he believed her, because she wasn't even sure if she believed herself, it was so outrageous.

"I know it's unbelievable, but it's true! I'm not sure what's going on... but... I want to find out." Newpaw said rapidly.

Littlepaw stared at her. "We, I mean, all four of us, will find out. After you go to the medicene den."

She grinned. "Okay, Littlepaw. I will."

**So now it's getting MORE dark... Thanks again to reviewers, you really make my day. Review!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	6. Yellowfang

**Thank you guys for reviewing, especially BrambleclawXXSquirilflight (Did I spell your name right?). I'm REALLY busy with homework today, but I'm under the weather and don't feel like doing it. HOWEVER, I feel very much like updateing, especially because I didn't do it yesterday. And I update almost everyday, in case you need to know.**

Chapter Six

_Newpaw dragged herself to the _medicene den. She'd never been to this side of camp before, but she'd seen many cats come in to recieve treatment for illnesses or wounds. It felt weird now to be one of the patients. Littlepaw was limping beside her; after all, he was hurt too. But it was Newpaw who was more injured. After all, it was Brokenstar, the ShadowClan leader, that had hurt her most. After she recieved her treatment, Newpaw decided she would see her mother. Maybe Dawncloud could help her kits.

"Come on," Littlepaw urged her gently. Then he looked at her forelegs and the back of her neck with concern. "How much does it hurt?"

Newpaw groaned. "A lot." She stopped walkingand shivered a bit. "Littlepaw?"

"Yeah?"

She let her gaze slide down to her paws. "I'm scared." She knew she would never, ever admit that to anyone except her littermates.

Littlepaw sighed. "Me too, Newpaw. But we'll be okay. I know it. Now let's go."

* * *

She entered with Littlepaw right behind her, and called out, "Hello? Yellowfang? Runningnose? Are you in here?"

"What is it?" grumbled a cranky female voice. An old large dark gray she-cat strode out, her amber eyes narrowed.

Newpaw swallowed anxiously. "Um, you... you might know me," she began, "I'm... I'm Newpaw, and this is my brother, Littlepaw."

The old medicene cat looked them up and down. "I know you. You're kitten-apprentices."

Littlepaw's fur fluffed up. "Kitten-apprentices? We're apprentices."

Yellowfang sighed. "Yes, but you're only three moons old. Too young to be apprentices. Too small. Too..." Whatever Yellowfang was going to say, she cut herself off and asked, "What are you doing here? Bringing me fresh-kill? It's been so long since I've had fresh-kill, I've had crowfood so long."

"Um, no." Newpaw glanced down at her, wincing at the pain on her neck. "We don't... know how to hunt yet."

"Yes, because of Brokenstar's new training program. Learning to hunt is just as important as learning to fight." The old cat muttered, almost incoherently. Then Yellowfang frowned. "What's that you have, Newpaw?"

"You know my name!"

"Of course. I also know this is your brother, Littlepaw." Yellowfang meowed. "Now what is that?" she stretched her neck to sniff Newpaw's scruff, then recoiled as she smelled blood. "Who did that?" the medicene cat demanded.

Newpaw flattened her ears. "Brokenstar. Littlepaw's hurt too. That's why we came."

Immediately Yellowfang grabbed herbs. She started chewing them and applied them with quick precision and put cobwebs. Newpaw shut her eyes. That felt better.

"Thank you, Yellowfang."

"I can't believe it," she muttered angrily, not even acknowledging Newpaw's thank you. "No, I _can _believe it. Stupid Brokenstar. Can't he see he's hurting not only kits, but pure ShadowClan kits? The mouse-brain."

"Um, what?" Littlepaw asked, perplexed.

"Nothing at all, young ones. Now you can go. But I want to see you before you train tomorrow!" she snapped before their brains even thought to get up and pad away.

"Yes, Yelllowfang." they said, then backed away slowly. Yellowfang seemed nice, but also crazier than a fox. After all, she did talk to herself.

* * *

Newpaw's woinds still stung a bit, but Yellowfang's herbs had helped a lot. Now everything was just a dull ache. "Littlepaw?"

"Yeah, Newpaw?"

"Did Yellowfang seem... I don't know, weird?"

He shrugged. "Things around here are so weird now, you can hardly tell."

"I guess so. Let's see Mom."

"Yeah, I wanted to see her too."

They ran to the nursery expecting to see Dawncloud, but didn't see her. Only Brightflower.

"Brightflower, where's mother?" asked Newpaw. They knew Brightflower well, and she was kind to them.

Brightflower sighed, fluffing out her black-and-white fur, and mewed, "She's in the elder's den, on the outskirts of camp. She moved there yesterday."

"Mother's... mother's an... an elder?" the word _elder_ and _mother_did not compute in Newpaw's mind as one whole sentence. She shook her head to clear it. "And the elder's den is where? I thought it was in the middle of the camp."

"Not anymore. The elders apparently want privacy, so Brokenstar kindly moved them away from camp. I can show you where it is."

"Okay..." said Newpaw, unsure that when she next saw her mother, she'd be unable to recognize her because of graying fur. Yet it had only been two days, so Dawncloud couldn't have changed much.

Brightflower led them out of camp, and after a couple of paces, they saw a relitively sheltered den, but it had some holes in it. _I'll patch it up. StarClan knows how cold elders get. And now that Mother's one of them, I want to make sure she's as comfortable as possible._ She thought.

"Mother?" she whispered.

Dawncloud's face poked through the enterance of the den, her eyes sparking, though her pelt was a bit shaggy. "Newpaw! Littlepaw!" she rushed out and licked them lovingly. "It's so good to see you again. You didn't visit yesterday!"

"Yes, well, we were tired."

"I bet you were. So how was it? Your first and second days as being apprentices?" Dawncloud was eager to hear from her kits.

Newpaw shrugged. "Fine," she said. She didn't want to worry her mother with her story of how Clawface and Brokenstar had wounded her.

Dawncloud frowned. "Is something bothering you two?"

"No!" the two apprentices chimed in hastily, not wanting their mother to worry about their well-being.

Dawncloud continued to fuss over them as if they were kits, licking their fur flat, telling them to wash themselves properly. Then she found them. Newpaw's wounds. Littlepaw's too. "What's _this_?" she sounded fretful.

**Okay guys, here it was! Please review, guys. It takes me about two hours to write this stuff for you (which I hate! I think I'm a suckish writer, but I like to do it), and you seem to like it so review! It's the least you could do. **

**Things to keep in mind: **

**1. Why the elders are thin.**

**2. Why Yellowfang called them kitten-apprentices**

**3. Why the senior warriors are attacking them, and injuring them**

**'K Bye!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	7. Training

**Hey, guys, I'm BACK! After FOUR DAYS without updating. (Mostly because no one freaking REVIEWED!) HOWEVER, I give my thank you to Maplefrost232, because numero uno, she favorited me (Thanks for that Maplefrost! I can just call you Maplefrost, right?) and numero dos, she reviewed twice! So, I AM updating!**

_She held her breath, hoping _that she had imagined her mother saying that. She didn't say it, Newpaw kept telling herself. But of course, Littlepaw whispered, "They're... wounds."

Immediately Dawncloud's ears pricked. "How?" she demanded.

"Training. Clawface was teaching us how to fight, and apparently it was a claws out fight, and he… hurt us." Newpaw blabbed. Great, Newpaw. I thought you were ShadowClan. Don't they, you know, keep _secrets?_ She told herself.

Dawncloud looked furious. "Hurt my kits, that stupid warrior! He's going to have another thing coming." She growled. She looked at them sharply. "Did Squirrelpaw or Badgerpaw get hurt?"

Newpaw backed away slowly, shaking her head. She had never seen her mother so furious- not even when the four of them had come back in the nursery covered in mud. Or the time they'd accidentally destroyed all the bedding. Wait… wasn't that all on the same day? "I don't know…"

"They weren't." informed Littlepaw.

"Good." Her tone changed to concern over her kits. "Are you okay, though?"

"We, um, went to see Yellowfang, and she patched us up. We're fine now." said Newpaw, staying frozen to where she was.

"Newpaw, come here, I want to see it. Your wound."

So she padded up to her mother, and stretched out her neck for her to see. "Clawface must've wanted to kill you…"

Newpaw decided not to tell her mother that it was really Brokenstar. After all, why would she believe her? It was completely and totally unbelievable. They'd probably chase her out of the Clan for an accusation like that.

"Maybe not. Maybe he just wanted for me to be tough." Newpaw reasoned.

Dawncloud frowned. She didn't want to scare her daughter and son by saying it wasn't supposed to be this way, instead, she nodded stiffly and said, "Make sure that Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw come to visit, okay?"

Both apprentices nodded. "Okay, Mama!"

"All right, then." She purred, and licked their foreheads. "You go and eat something, okay?"

* * *

The next day, Newpaw didn't want to wake up. They were going to do battle training again today, and that brought back ugly memories of the day before. "Come on, Newpaw!" called a now impatient Foxfur. Foxfur rarely lost her temper, but Newpaw really had to go training. "Wake up!"

"No!" Newpaw yelled back. She was wide-awake, sitting on her bedding, and she'd already washed, but she _did not want to go battle training._

Foxfur snorted and went in the apprentice den. "Newpaw, you have to come out. Please? It'll only be me teaching you."

"Yeah? You said that yesterday. You know what happened? Clawface hurt me. He hurt Littlepaw, too. Oh, and after that, Brokenstar, oh, yes, our _leader_, yeah, he _attacked_ me in his den. So you can call me a bit paranoid now." Newpaw snarled.

"Newpaw, stop lying and come with me. I promise you nothing will happen." Foxfur hissed the words through her teeth, holding on to her deep patience just barely.

Newpaw shook her head no.

Foxfur forced herself to remain calm. Perhaps this was not the way to deal with Newpaw, after all, each kit was different. So she licked Newpaw's cheek comfortingly, and said, "Come on, Newpaw."

But Newpaw wasn't fooled by a sudden change of tactic.

Her mentor's eyes flashed emerald green, and Newpaw flinched. "Newpaw," she warned, "Get. Out. Of. The. Den."

Sighing, Newpaw crept out.

"Was that so hard?" Foxfur teased.

* * *

"All right, Newpaw. No one's here but us. Now, let me teach you…" Foxfur trailed off, lost in thought. "Newpaw, do you learn more by hearing, watching, or doing?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Watching, I guess."

"Okay, then. Watch."

Newpaw watched Foxfur as she demonstrated battle moves and tactics, and listened carefully as she explained them to her. When Foxfur asked her to do it, she tried. Sometimes she failed. But she tried. And best of all, she didn't get hurt. Foxfur didn't rip her fur off, didn't make her bleed.

It was the end of the day when she remembered that she had had to see Yellowfang before training.

**This chapter was really short. Mostly because I was making it up as I went along. Please review anyway, because I won't post if you don't review!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	8. Anticipation

**Hi again, guys! Thank you to my reviewers, Avatar-State crazy, Mapplefrost, BrambleclawXSqurrilflight. Eight is my favorite number, so this will be a great, dark, intense chapter. After all, this is chapter eight. Cool random thing I noticed today: It is the 10th of October (10th month of the year) of 2010. 10/10/10. Okay, here's more Newpaw!**

Chapter Eight

_Newpaw struggled under Foxfur's weight. _She hissed and spat, pawing at her mentor's belly fur. Get off! She thought in panic. Get off! The loud thought shoved its way through her mouth, and it came out as a whisper: "Get off!"

Foxfur jumped off immediately after she said it, and meowed, "Are you okay? It wasn't too much weight on you, was it?"

She gasped out, "No, it's just... you're kind of... heavy for me."

Foxfur gave a soft _mrroow_ of laughter, and she said, "That's enough training for today, I think."

Newpaw grinned at her mentor. She and her littermates were now almost four moons old, and they'd been growing slowly. Of course, prey was a bit scarce, and their mentors figured it was a waste to teach them to hunt if they couldn't find any prey. Instead, they were taught to scavenge for their food, and taught to treat even crowfood as a blessing- at least they would eat. And not only that, but Foxfur had taught her some basic hunting techniques, so if she came across a rare piece of fresh food, she could catch it for the Clan. She and her littermates- most of her Clan, really- were almost always hungery, but at least they were never starving. They ate enough only to keep their hunger at bay.

Mostly though, Foxfur and the other mentors would teach them battle tactics, skills, moves. Foxfur praised Newpaw; she was quite good at many battle techniques, sometimes teasing, _I think maybe _you_should be teaching _me_! _But, of course, it was only a joke, and Newpaw liked to be teased about it.

Now Newpaw and Foxfur padded slowly to the ShadowClan camp. Sometimes Newpaw didn't really feel like going there, facing the hunger. She wanted to train forever, because at least it was and escape. Newpaw sighed.

They slowed to a stop, and Foxfur meowed softly, "You go get something to eat, Newpaw. I'm going to see if I can catch something at Carrion Place."

Newpaw nodded. Carrion Place was the only place they could eat live food, and mostly it was just yucky rats, though if you ate them while starving they seemed as good as a fresh-killed mouse. "Okay, Foxfur. Thanks for the lesson today."

* * *

It was only two days later when Brokenstar made an announcement. "ShadowClan, we are starving. It is easy to see that. We have asked WindClanto share their hunting grounds with us. But they have refused. They will gladly see us starve because we have so many cats. Their excuse is that they have more cats than us. Yet we are the ones starving, yes? I have planned an invasion. We will take WindClan's hunting grounds by force."

The cats yowled in approval. _Anything to eat real food_, thought Newpaw. _Anything_. After a brief hesitation, she yowled too.

"When will we take their hunting grounds?" called out one cat.

Brokenstar looked down at the cat. "Tomorrow night. They won't expect us, and we, ShadowClan, the Clan of Night, will be concealed in darkness."

"Who will go?" asked another cat.

"Every warrior and every apprentice." came the reply.

* * *

Newpaw was extremely anxious. Drive out WindClan? Her? Her littermates? Her friends? Was she even a good enough fighter? This was not Foxfur, who would never hurt her, this was a war against a rival Clan; a Clan that would not hesitate to kill them. Tomorrow, Foxfur had told her, they would train extra hard. That didn't reassure her that much.

"You'll be fine." Foxfur had promised earlier, "If you remember everything I taught you."

"I will remember," replied Newpaw, then, lowering her voice, she said, "I'm just... scared."

"Every cat gets scared sometimes." Foxfur replied, then she stalked off to let Newpaw sleep.

But that night Newpaw couldn't sleep. Each time she tried, she had nightmares, and she was afraid that she would die in this attack. She knew she had to fight for her Clan, to defend and protect them, but just this time she feared she wouldn't come back alive.

* * *

"Come on! Come at me, Newpaw!" Foxfur ordered. All the apprentices were training hard today, all day. Foxfur had woken Newpaw up from her half-sleep just before dawn, and they had been training hard since then, Foxfur drilling her on all of ShadowClan's battle tactics.

Newpaw narrowed her eyes. It was now sunhigh; they'd been training for many hours now. And Newpaw needed food now. She was hungry after this training. But she was wise enough not to say so. Newpaw flew at her mentor, and they scuffled a bit.

Afterwards, Foxfur narrowed her eyes. "I think, Newpaw, that we should take a small break."

So Newpaw ate a bit and took a nap. Once Foxfur woke her up, they trained more. And each minute that passed, Newpaw knew it was one moment closer to the ambush. And that terrified her.

* * *

"Warriors and apprentices of ShadowClan!" called Brokenstar, "The time is now to take WindClan's hunting grounds by force! We need more food!"

"More food! More food!" the cats of ShadowClan chanted.

"We will go now!"

More yowls of approval. The ShadowClan leader led the way out of camp with his head and tail raised high, the warriors and their apprentices following him and Blackfoot.

As they raced through ShadowClan's territory, Newpaw could barely think straight. All she wanted was this to be over soon, so the Clan could eat and not be starving anymore. "Foxfur?"she asked her mentor softly, panting for breath.

"Yes, Newpaw?"

"Do you approve of driving out WindClan?"

Foxfur's voice was so quiet now that even Newpaw could hardly hear her. "Not really. But a Clan leader's word is law. And you must always support your leader and your Clan, even if your opinions are different."

"Yes, Foxfur."

**Okay, guys. That's it for now. Next chapter soon!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	9. Ambush!

**Hi again! I don't have much Homework today… for once I thank you, PSAT test, which I will take tomorrow! Otherwise, I hate you. Thank you to my reviewers (I got so many last chapter!): warriorcrazy, Mapplefrost, xxxDREAMHEARTxxx, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight (Ah, for ONCE I spelled your name right!), and Queen Of The Pens (By any chance, do you read Percy Jackson and the Olympians?)**

**Okay, here's another chapter of Newpaw's story!**

Chapter Nine

_Brokenstar stopped his Clan before _they crossed the Thunderpath. He turned around, nearly invisible in the dark night. "Be careful not to cross into ThunderClan territory. We don't want them to know what we're doing…yet." He meowed quietly, to his warriors, and they passed it on to their apprentices, if they didn't hear.

Then he led the Clan through the tunnel. Newpaw found it scarier in the night, the silence roaring in her ears.

Another thing that escalated her fear was that she was about to go into a dangerous battle. She crept inside the tunnel, and each step, she knew it was one step closer to the battle, and each step she tensed more.

Once out of the dark tunnel, the ShadowClan cats silently raced through the forest, Newpaw and the other apprentices struggling to keep up.

They sped through Fourtrees, not even slowing down to look at its beauty.

"Shh." whispered Brokenstar. "Do not make a sound. We're in WindClan territory now. Use your ShadowClan skill to appear invisible in the darkness." He said this mainly to the apprentices, who had not had any experience in battle.

* * *

It felt like moons as they crept silently through WindClan's open territory. Newpaw felt extremely exposed, for though she was not ThunderClan, she didn't hunt in their heavy undergrowth, she did live in a forest, and it was a forest that at least provided some cover. WindClan, though, had none. Newpaw wondered how they could feel so comfortable like this.

It took forever to find the WindClan camp, though it was probably the only sheltered spot on the moor. Newpaw looked up, hoping to see the sparkle of their warrior ancestors. There were no stars in the night sky. No StarClan warriors watching.

_Does that mean StarClan doesn't approve? That we do not have their blessing?_ Newpaw thought worriedly.

It didn't matter. As the ShadowClan cats formed a semicircle around the camp, they closed in like a cat stalking its prey. They _were_ stalking their prey, realized Newpaw. WindClan was ShadowClan's prey.

Newpaw squinted her vivid blue eyes to see better in the dark. She was acutely aware of her light colored fur; it was white, but thankfully, there were no stars, no moon, so it didn't shine on her fur. Wait… were those two WindClan warriors on guard?

No time to tell, because at that moment, Blackfoot lunged at one of them.

The other cat screeched a warning, but was cut off by Clawface, who had pinned her down. The rest of the Clan waited in anxious silence. Not more than a moment had passed when three more yowls cut the still air.

At that moment, the ShadowClan cats flooded through the entrance of the WindClan camp.

"ShadowClan!" she heard a cat hiss. "I can smell their stink!"

_We do not stink!_ She thought, and glanced around to see if she could fight… _any_ cat. Frustration poured into her veins, mingling with the adrenaline. They were all bigger than her! Much bigger.

A sweet scent swirled around her, and Squirrelpaw was suddenly next to her. "I'll protect you," she promised, then glared at some WindClan cats. Screeching in fury, she hurled herself in battle.

Newpaw copied her sister, dodging and leaping, using her small size as an advantage rather than as a weakness. She pierced a WindClan cat's fur so deep with her claws, he howled in agony.

"Stop!" he growled. Then he noticed her size. "You're just a kit."

Newpaw's fur bristled. She hoped he wouldn't smell her fear amid all the WindClan cats' fear. "Well, you're just an apprentice." She snarled, trying to look intimidating. "So I guess we're well matched."

She hurled herself at him again, clawing at his face.

The apprentice dodged. "No, we're not." He said annoyingly. "You're a kit. You're too small to fight. You're-"

Newpaw cut him off as she pounced on him as if he were a frog begging to be caught. She hissed in his ear, "I may be a kit, but I'm still tougher than you!"

All she was saying to this cat were lies. She was lying to herself, too. Trying to be something she wasn't. But right now, Newpaw couldn't think about that. She had to fight for her Clan.

She pummeled his back, shredding it with her back claws. Suddenly the apprentice flipped over, and Newpaw was smashed against short WindClan fur. She struggled with failing results. She hated when a cat did this. She struggled harder, and gasped in relief when the weight was lifted off her.

Tabby fur streaked toward her. It was Squirrelpaw! Her sister snarled at the WindClan cat, "You stay clear of my sister, or you'll regret it!"

The apprentice smirked. "Of course. I'll stay away from a couple of kits."

Newpaw shrieked, "We. Are. Not. Kits!" and the two she-cats flew at the WindClan apprentice.

Once the cat had backed away, Squirrelpaw asked worriedly, "Are you okay, Newpaw?"

"Fine," she said shortly, and her sister hurled herself into the fighting once more. Newpaw nervously glanced around the battle, looking for Littlepaw's tabby fur, so much like Squirrelpaw's or Badgerpaw's black-and-white fur, like hers. Of course, Newpaw was mostly white…

"Newpaw!" a cat was suddenly beside her, and she felt a rush of relief as she recognized Littlepaw.

"Littlepaw!" she said.

"Newpaw… I have to tell you something…" her brother was out of breath.

"Watch out!" she heard Foxfur's voice, and they scrambled out of the way as her mentor fought another warrior.

"Newpaw," Littlepaw tried to say again, but a new group of warriors surged to them, and they were lost in the sea of cats.

Out of the corner of Newpaw's eye, she saw tabby fur. _Thank StarClan that Squirrelpaw's okay._

Her sister was bravely fighting a much larger WindClan warrior.

Suddenly Squirrelpaw cried out, and slumped to the ground, breathing fast.

"Squirrelpaw!" Newpaw shrieked fearfully. She sped to her sister. "Squirrelpaw!"

Her sister blinked her bright amber eyes up at Newpaw, and mewed almost inaudibly, "Newpaw. I said I'd protect you. And I did."

Squirrelpaw shut her eyes slowly and let out her last breath.

"Nooo!" yowled Newpaw. _"Squirrelpaw!"_

**Well, that was fairly heartbreaking. I have to admit to this though; I had Code of the Clans and Secrets of the Clans next to me for reference. In case, I you know, needed help. **

**warriorcrazy: I don't like killing kits either. But Brokenstar seems to enjoy it. After all he killed more than just a couple of his apprentices, right?**

**Mapplefrost: I'm sorry to break your heart. I didn't include Badgerpaw's death in this chapter. Next chappie I will. **

**xxxDREAMHEARTxxx: Here you have your battle scene! I hope it wasn't disappointing.**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: Thank you! I really hope you liked this chapter too.**

**Queen Of The Pens: Thank you! And I did just that. **

**Next chapter will come up soon! Review and it will come sooner!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	10. Victory

**Hey! I'm back now! Thank you loyal readers/reviewers! I got some, hmm, interesting reviews last chapter. I'll mention them in the end author's note. Anyway, here they are: Avatar-State craziness (I like _Avatar, the last Airbender_ too! Haven't seen the movie yet), BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, warriorcrazy, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, xxxDREAMHEARTxxx, and Kstar101! **

**Actually, I checked and its actually chapter NINE, because the prologue doesn't count as a chapter. Anyway, here's the next chapter of Newpaw's epic life. **

Chapter Ten

_Newpaw just stared_ at the lifeless body of her sister, not quite believing she was dead now and was walking with StarClan. She didn't cry, didn't whimper; not a sound came out of Newpaw's mouth. It was only opened in a soundless wail of grief.

Sudden anger raged through her like a fire, and she whipped around, ready to take on any cat to avenge her sister's death. Squirrelpaw had said she had protected her. It was time to protect herself.

She lunged blindly, clawing at a WindClan cat. The warrior hissed and pawed her away easily. She just backed away, hissing and snarling fiercely. She knew she couldn't take on these warriors. But somehow, her mind hadn't taken that into account yet.

The warrior growled and lunged. Newpaw dodged. The WindClan cat swiped at her, clouting her ear, making it bleed. Newpaw was shocked out of aggression by the pain, making her dizzy.

The blood trickled down her back, making her shiver. The warrior sprang suddenly and pinned her down. She shrieked at him, her words unintelligible. This warrior's Clan had killed her sister. Now he will kill her too.

She yelled and kicked and screamed, her eyes closed so she wouldn't see the cruel vicious, dripping jaws about to murder her. She was going to die now, she knew it. She would die like Squirrelpaw.

_Newpaw!_ She heard a strict voice. _I never thought you'd be one to give up. I thought you'd die fighting and arguing, for what you believed in. _Newpaw recognized Squirrelpaw's voice.

_Isn't that what I'm doing now? Fighting? Screaming? For what I believe in? _She thought bitterly at Squirrelpaw. Now that she was hearing her sister's voice talking to her, she felt more like she wanted to die.

_Newpaw! You don't believe in this. Driving out WindClan isn't right, you know it. And dying won't solve problems, ether. _She could picture Squirrelpaw frowning at her right now.

_When'd you get so wise? You died only, like, a few moments ago._ She thought scornfully.

_When'd you get so _stupid? _I always thought you were the smart one, Great StarClan! _Squirrelpaw flashed back. _Now FIGHT!_

Newpaw's head cleared, and she focused once more on fighting, though her heart wasn't in it anymore. She opened her eyes, flashing them murderously, if only to make the warrior back away. _Get off!_ She thought. _This isn't right! I don't want to fight anymore! \_

She squirmed under the warrior, then burst out from underneath him. She ran passed a den, then rushed in. No cat was in there. No cat was paying attention to her, not even Foxfur.

The dark den smelt of milk and kits, and she could feel its lingering warmth. This was the WindClan nursery. She wondered what happened with the queens and kits, but she curled up in a corner and trembled. She was in here for one reason and one reason only: to escape fighting. She was slowly admitting to herself she was afraid of death.

She didn't want to fight anymore; she had seen what it could lead to. Wounds. Anger. Pain. Death.

A flash of familiar tabby fur went across the entrance of the nursery, and Newpaw's heart thudded, because part of her hoped it was Squirrelpaw, come back to life. But of course it wasn't. It was Littlepaw.

Newpaw crawled up to the entrance, and hissed, "Littlepaw!", hoping to save him from their sister's fate.

Her brother whirled around and dashed inside. "Finally, thank StarClan." He looked at her with concern. "You're bleeding."

Before she got a chance to reply, he mewed, "But you're okay. Oh, Newpaw, thank StarClan you're alive."

Her blood froze at that. "What do you mean?" It was possible that Littlepaw had witnessed Squirrelpaw die too, but if he had, why didn't he come to say goodbye with Newpaw?

"Newpaw, I've got to tell you something. I wanted to tell you when we together before, but the warriors… they got in the way…"

"What is it?" demanded Newpaw, which was more like her than calmly asking it.

Littlepaw hung his head and yowled real low and quiet. "Badgerpaw… he-he died."

Newpaw stared at him in disbelief, then laughed harshly. "Oh, I get it! Family humor! Telling me he died! That's so_ funny!_"

"But he really is-" Littlepaw said, before getting cut off.

Newpaw snapped her head to him and growled, "How?"

Littlepaw was trembling in fear. "I saw him…. He was right in front of me… He had this bad wound, and…. He died right in front of me, with Flintfang at his side. _Right in front of me._"

Newpaw stared at him with her vivid blue eyes, making him uncomfortable. "I have to tell you something too." She told him softly.

"What?"

"We are Dawncloud's only surviving kits now."

"What do you mean?"

Newpaw glared at him. "I _mean_ that I saw Squirrelpaw die in front of my paws! She said her last words to me!"

Littlepaw looked down at his paws. "No. This can't be happening! Newpaw, tell me this is some bad dream."

"I wish I could. But we're very much awake."

"Newpaw!" she heard a worried voice. "Newpaw! Oh, StarClan, please don't let my apprentice be dead, too. Newpaw!"

Newpaw looked at Littlepaw, and they crept out of the WindClan nursery together.

Foxfur's eyes were crazy with worry, and when she saw Newpaw, she said sternly, "What were you two doing in there?"

She shrugged. "I thought maybe some WindClan cats would use the nursery for shelter. I went in there to fight off any cat who thought they'd stay. I asked Littlepaw to help me." These lies made her feel sick, but she was a good liar. And if you're good, then why not use it?

Her mentor nodded. "Good job. Anyway, we won! ShadowClan can hunt here."

Newpaw and Littlepaw yowled gleefully, "Great!"

It sounded full-hearted, joyful. But in her mind, it was half-hearted.

Because the price had been too high.

**All right, now we're really rolling, aren't we? **

**Avatar-State craziness: Yes, it is sad she died. **

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: It so sweet to say I made you cry! I never thought it was possible. I guess it is now. Hope I didn't make you cry this time.**

**warriorcrazy: Yes, I agree with all the things said about Brokenstar. Unfortunately, as much as your opinion DOES count (because it does), I can't do it. It clashes with the storyline and would be childish and very cliché. **

**Maplefrost: Thanks for reviewing again! I will never cease to be amazed when someone says they like a villain. However, I'm sort of a hypocrite, because I like the worst cat in the series, Scourge. **

**Queen Of The Pens: I'm so sorry! I liked Squirrelpaw a lot too. But she rests with StarClan now, and I can always use her in later chapters. **

**Thank you to Kstar101 and xxxDREAMHEARTxxx (By the way, I LOVE your name!) for reviewing, but I don't really have a reply… hmm how about, I did as you requested and updated soon? Yep, that's good.**

**Anyway, review if you want the next chappie!**

**_~Coqui's Song_**


	11. Exile

**Hey, guys! I'm back! When did I update? Oh, yesterday. Good. Thank you to loyal reviewers: BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, Avatar-State craziness, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, xxxDREAMHEARTxxx, and Kstar101! Here's the REAL chapter TEN:**

The REAL Chapter Ten

_On the way back_from WindClan's former hunting grounds, the large battle patrol sometimes stopped to hunt. Newpaw just wanted to get home, to treat her wounds, and sleep for the longest time. She couldn't even hunt; she was too busy carrying Squirrelpaw's body. Foxfur had asked many times to carry it for her, but Newpaw had determinedly said no each time.

"Newpaw, give me Squirrelpaw's body, please. I'm so very sorry she died." Foxfur tried again.

Angrily she shook her head and continued on padding to Fourtrees, straining her head up to make sure her sister didn't touch the ground. Squirrelpaw deserved better than that. She hadn't deserved to die.

Littlepaw brushed against her, and she gave him a grateful glance as best she could with Squirrelpaw's body hanging in front of her.

Strangely, she thought of Squirrelpaw's words: _Driving out WindClan isn't right, and you know it._That wasn't the only thing that wasn't right, thought Newpaw. For some reason, her conversation with the WindClan apprentice popped in her mind.

_"You're just a kit."_

_"Well, you're just an apprentice. So I guess we're well matched."_

_"No, we're not. You're a kit. You're too small to fight. You're-"_

_"I may be a kit, but I'm still tougher than you!"_

Was he saying that kits didn't get apprenticed until later than six moons? But that had been what she had been taught in ShadowClan; kits were apprenticed as soon as they were weaned. There were so many apprentices before the battle: not only Newpaw and her siblings but also Blossompaw, Reedpaw, Marshypaw, Darkpaw, Streampaw, Mudpaw, Grasspaw, and Sunpaw. Now about half of them were still alive: Blossompaw, Darkpaw, Streampaw, and Marshypaw.

Newpaw wondered if Brokenstar would apprentice more kits soon. Only six were left out of twelve.

"Hey," a soft mew said from her other side. Darkpaw padded next to her, his dark blue eyes looking at her strangely. "I'm sorry about Squirrelpaw."

Newpaw couldn't reply, and impatiently Foxfur took Squirrelpaw from her, her green eyes blazing. Newpaw whipped around. "I want to carry her!"

Foxfur shook her head. "You talk with Darkpaw. I'll let Marshpelt carry her." She said around a mouthful of fur, then padded to Marshpelt.

Newpaw glared after her.

"Really, Newpaw." mewed Darkpaw. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that Sunpaw died." Sunpaw had been Darkpaw's absolute best friend; every apprentice would tease that they would be mates when they were warriors, and Darkpaw wouldn't mind. He'd play along, because that was just what he was planning. "And Mudpaw." Mudpaw had been his brother.

"Yeah. Badgerpaw too."

"Yeah."

"Hey," said Darkpaw, "It's okay, we'll get through this."

"Yeah," Newpaw grumbled, "About the same time hedgehogs fly."

"We _will_." He insisted, which was unlike him. Usually he was very quiet. Now he was chatting to no end, like Sunpaw had been.

"Has Sunpaw rubbed off on you?"

Darkpaw grinned, fluffing out his black fur. "Maybe."

* * *

A few days later, Brokenstar had already apprentice many new kits: Petalpaw, Cloudpaw, Brownpaw, Wetpaw, and Ripplepaw.

Newpaw and the older surviving apprentices showed the new apprentices around and acted friendly around them, although they were barely a moon older themselves.

All the cats were healing well, and thing seemed back to normal.

Except when Yellowfang killed two of the new apprentices a few days after.

Brokenstar snarled at her, "What have you to say for yourself, Yellowfang? A medicine cat! Killing two innocent apprentices!"

Yellowfang hissed bravely at him, but did not answer.

"Nothing?" Brokenstar seemed pleased. "Very well, you old fool. You're exiled from ShadowClan."

He snarled and lunged at the old medicine cat, clawing her fur until she backed away. "You're making a mistake." she meowed before she turned and left.

Newpaw was almost tempted to run throught the entrance and ask her if it were true. How could Yellowfang kill two apprentices from her own Clan? It didn't make sense. Newpaw didn't think Yellowfang was like that. She was cranky and irritable, yes. But a murderer? It didn't fit.

"Clanmates," said Brokenstar, turning away, "Our new medicine cat is Runningnose. Runningnose, you learned well from your mentor. Serve the Clan well."

"I-I will, Brokenstar."

"Good." he said, then went to his den without another word.

The Clan cheered.

Newpaw was silent. She was still thinking about Yellowfang. Thinking about Squirrelpaw and her words, thinking about that WindClan apprentice. Was this truely not right?

**Okay! It was short, yes. But still.**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: Thank you!**

**Maplefrost: Here's an anticipated chapter!**

**xxxDREAMHEARTxxx: It wasn't the last chapter! I'm just getting started!**

**Everyone else, thank you's for reading and please review! Otherwise you'll never know what happens to Littlepaw and Newpaw.**

**~Coqui's Song**


	12. Hunting

**Hey guys! Oh, gosh, I got SO MANY reviews last chapter! Thanks all of you: Avatar-State craziness, BramblexAvatar, Featherflight (Love your name, by the way!), Maplefrost, Dreamheart, Queen Of The Pens, and last but certainly not least, Sky Fireheart. Thanks so much for reviewing and loving my story, because honestly, I think it's just okay….**

**Here's Newpaw!**

Chapter Eleven

_"Newpaw, let me teach you to _hunt now we've got more territory." Foxfur mewed.

Newpaw stared at her white paws blankly and slowly looked up at her mentor. "I'll only go if Littlepaw and Darkpaw come." These past few days after Yellowfang had been exiled, Darkpaw and Newpaw had been spending more and more time together. Of course, they'd always been good friends, but the death of their littermates and best friends had impacted them so they grew closer.

Littlepaw, of course, was even closer now to Newpaw than ever before, because they had lost two of their littermates.

Foxfur mewed gently, "Newpaw, your friends can't go everywhere with you."

Newpaw just stared at her. Foxfur stared back, not about to take an indirect order from her own apprentice.

Foxfur said finally, "I'll talk to Clawface and Redwillow." Redwillow was Darkpaw's mentor and Foxfur's sister.

Newpaw waited as Foxfur went into the warriors' den, and Littlepaw padded up to her. "We going hunting together?"

"I dunno. Foxfur's asking Clawface and Redwillow about it."

"Oh." Talk with the other apprentices was like this now; they didn't say much, but their silence was more comforting to each other rather than awkward. Littlepaw sat down and licked his front paw.

Soon Foxfur brushed passed them hurriedly, with a quick glance, saying, "Come on, you two. Get Darkpaw too."

* * *

A harsh burst of wind tugged at Newpaw's pelt, threatening to pull her off the ground. She narrowed her eyes, thinking, _why am I so small? WindClan has small cats, but they're capable of padding through this windy wasteland. And they don't fly away!_

Newpaw unsheathed her claws and dug them into the moor's ground as she padded through with Foxfur, Clawface, Redwillow, Darkpaw and Littlepaw.

Foxfur had to yell to be heard over the mighty wind. "We'll be hunting rabbits today. Newpaw and Littlepaw, you're small cats. Use your size to your advantage. Nimbleness comes with smallness. You can be our fake WindClan cats and catch them."

"Are you saying we'll be catching all the rabbits today?" hissed Newpaw.

Foxfur had long ago learned how to deal with Newpaw's sharp, witty jibes, and she quickly disregarded it. "No, Newpaw. We'll all be hunting."

Newpaw felt very exposed in the open moor, because her fur was black and white, and not able to be easily hidden. She was sure Littlepaw felt okay, because his fur was brown tabby, but Darkpaw would also be exposed, because of his black fur.

Redwillow and Foxfur would be fine; they looked like foxes, and could blend in easier because of their reddish pelts. Clawface too, with his brown fur.

Newpaw scented the air, waiting for the smell of rabbit to hit the roof of her mouth. She pressed herself to the ground, squashing herself so as not to be seen. But she couldn't see above the tall grass if she were this low to the ground. Growling in frustration, she righted herself.

As she looked around the moor, she couldn't shake the feeling of grief as it overcame her. This very moor was the place where her sister and her brother and her friends had been slaughtered. She choked it down; she had to concentrate.

Suddenly she caught the scent of rabbit. Briefly she wondered what it would taste like, then ran silently toward it, not making the slightest sound, her white pelt a blur on the moor. Darkpaw and Littlepaw had fanned out and were closing in on the rabbit from all different directions.

Newpaw could see the rabbit's grayish-brown pelt, and the three apprentices crept closer. Darkpaw got it first, he leapt on it, but the rabbit bolted the other way, directly to Newpaw. She met it and bit its throat. She tasted its warm blood in her mouth, and the rabbit went limp.

Newpaw stared in shock. Real food! No crow-food tonight! She'd made her first kill!

"Good job, Newpaw." Darkpaw mewed quietly, his usual self.

"T-thanks." She was dazed. Had she really just made her first kill? "You helped me."

The rest of the day was spent hunting. They'd caught only four rabbits, but at least they hadn't had to get crow-food. _Thank StarClan!_

The cats trudged home, and they were welcome with purrs of gratitude, because ShadowClan rarely had fresh meat. Mostly they ate rats or crow-food.

* * *

As Newpaw sighed and rested down outside the apprentice den, Marshypaw mewed, "Hey, Newpaw, guess what?" her tone wasn't excited, it was hushed and secretive.

"What?" grunted Newpaw, surprised because Marshypaw wasn't really a gossiper.

Marshypaw's gray eyes were wide and she licked her dark brown paw before meowing, "Blossompaw's sick in Yellowfang- er Runningnose's den."

Newpaw bolted upright. "She's sick?"

"Injury while she was out of camp. A pair of foxes attacked her and Brokenstar while they were training. They both got horrible injuries."

_Blossompaw and Brokenstar?_ thought Newpaw in shock, but she didn't say anything. Was Marshypaw sure that it was a pair of foxes? Newpaw remembered the day Brokenstar attacked her in the den still. It couldn't have been Brokenstar that gave Blossompaw those injuries, could it?

Newpaw frowned. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"Oh, yeah, Cloudpaw and Ripplepaw too. Poor kits. They couldn't defend themselves."

"Are they still alive?" Newpaw asked her denmate, bursting out her question.

Marshypaw looked back at Runningnose's den, worry glittering in her gray eyes. "I don't know. I hope so. We need apprentices, and they're just so young."

Darkpaw and Littlepaw padded up and saw the worried faces of their friends. "What happened?" asked Darkpaw.

Marshypaw quickly explained it all to them, and all four apprentices stared at the medicine den, wondering what was to become of the injured cats. Newpaw was restless with worry, pacing, thinking over and over Squirrelpaw's words, and the conversation with that WindClan apprentice, and her own memories of Brokenstar's attack on her.

"What are you thinking about?" Darkpaw's quiet mew broke her thoughts.

She glared at him, flashing her blue eyes. "What _else_ would I be thinking about, Darkpaw?"

He shrugged.

It seemed forever. When Runningnose came out of the den, he meowed in a voice filled with grief, "Clanmates, there was nothing more I could do. The three apprentices are dead."

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading guys! Hoped you enjoyed this chapter.

**Featherflight, Avatar-State craziness, BramblexAvatar: Thanks!**

**Maplefrost: Yeah! I like Yellowfang too, and she's been wronged BAD.**

**Dreamheart: Not to sound rude or mean, but has it been some time since you've read Into the Wild? Yellowfang never really killed those kits. She was ACCUSED of it.**

**Queen Of The Pens: Nope, they didn't! But I have big plans for them. Darkpaw too.**

**Sky Fireheart: Thanks! Really, I think I'm an okay writer, but when someone says something like that to me in a review, well, that just makes my day! **

**So review, guys! And remember: you should really read Into the Wild while or before reading this, because it takes place in it, and your memory will get soo much better. I mean, I'm reading it! And I'm WRITING this story!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	13. The Gathering I

**Hi again! Thanks to my reviewers, warriorcrazy, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, Queen Of The Pens, and Dreamheart! You guys are great! I was compelled to write this chapter, because I've been waiting for it for a LONG time. **

Chapter Twelve

_It was less than a moon _since Yellowfang had been exiled, and tonight was the Gathering. Newpaw's first gathering. She was excited, but couldn't help thinking about Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw. They'd have been thrilled. They were, however, in StarClan now, and they were watching her and Littlepaw always. That comforted her sometimes. But sometimes it didn't.

Brokenstar bounded to the entrance of the camp. "Come, ShadowClan!" he meowed, and the chosen warriors and apprentices followed him.

Newpaw couldn't help remembering how, not a moon ago, Brokenstar had led the warriors out of camp for a different reason: to drive out WindClan. That decision had killed half of the apprentices and four warriors. Now it was to have a peaceful meeting with the other remaining Clans, RiverClan and ThunderClan.

It also reminded Newpaw that now she was five moons old.

Darkpaw, Littlepaw, and Marshypaw were also allowed to this Gathering, and so, as the cats sped through the pine trees, the four apprentices chatted bit, yes, but mostly were silent.

Brokenstar stopped before going under the dreaded tunnel. He turned to the apprentices, and mewed to them, "Tell the other Clan cats, if they ask, that you are all six moons old."

Newpaw started to ask why, but clamped her mouth shut. Brokenstar just might attack her again.

Then he ran through the tunnel, his warriors and apprentices following. Newpaw was still afraid of doing this. The noise from above her that the monsters made was terrifying, but she supposed that it was better than actually crossing the Thunderpath.

Newpaw sped through as fast as she could, intentionally blocking the sound of the huge monsters from her ears.

At the edge of the hollow of Fourtrees, Brokenstar hesitated, giving a deep breath. Then he pelted down to the clearing.

* * *

Newpaw and her friends were unsure of what to do after they got to the Gathering and saw so many cats from all different Clans. So they split up. Littlepaw went and followed Runningnose, and Newpaw went with him. She didn't know where Darkpaw or Marshypaw went.

Runningnose was speaking to a group of other cats about an old cure for kitten-cough. "Since the Twolegs came and filled the place with hard earth and strange flowers, the herb has disappeared, and kittens die needlessly in cold weather.

The cats around him muttered in disapproval.

"It would never have happened in the time of the great Clan cats." said a RiverClan queen.

"Indeed," agreed a silver tabby, "The great cats would have killed any Twolegs that dared enter their territory. If TigerClan roamed these forests still, Twolegs would not have built this far into our land."

"It TigerClan still roamed these forests, _we_ would hardly have made our territory here, either." muttered a pretty tortoiseshell.

"What's TigerClan?" asked Littlepaw.

A gray ThunderClan apprentice sitting next to a fiery-colored apprentice mewed quietly, "TigerClan is one of the great cat Clan that used to roam the forest. TigerClan is cats of the night, bug as horses, with jet-black stripes. Then there is LionClan. They're…"

"Oh, I've heard of them!" mewed Littlepaw. "They were as big as TigerClan cats, with yellow fur and golden manes like rays of the sun."

The ThunderClan apprentice nodded. "And there is another one, SpottyClan or something like that…"

"I suspect you're thinking of LeopardClan, young Graypaw."

"Lionheart!" the gray apprentice yowled in surprise.

The golden warrior shook his head in mock despair. "Don't you youngsters know your history? LeopardClan are the swiftest cats, huge and golden, spotted with black pawprints. You can thank LeopardClan for the speed and hunting skills you now possess."

Littlepaw was puzzled. "Thank them? Why?" He took the words right out of Newpaw's mouth.

Lionheart looked down at Littlepaw. "There is a trace of all the great cats in every cat today. We would not be night hunters without out TigerClan ancestors, and our love of the sun's warmth comes from LionClan." He paused, looking Littlepaw up and down. "You are a ShadowClan apprentice, aren't you? How many moons old are you?"

At the question, Newpaw's heart thudded faster. Brokenstar had told them to lie about their age if any cat asked. And this ThunderClan warrior had asked. "S-six moons." Littlepaw stammered, not meeting Lionheart's eyes.

"Rather small for six moons."

"My mother was small too," replied Littlepaw swiftly. Then he bowed and brushed past Newpaw, and she quickly followed her brother.

* * *

"Oh, Newpaw, I was so nervous! I can't believe I just lied to a ThunderClan warrior!" Littlepaw whispered.

"I know. So was I. I was really hoping he wouldn't see me. I guess he didn't. But don't worry, Littlepaw. You did great."

"I just… I…"

"Come on, Littlepaw," mewed Newpaw impatiently, "Let's go find a good spot to see the Gathering."

**Alas, I know it was short. But if I did the entire gathering this chapter, it would be extremely looooong.**

**I have to say this now, because I used so much of the book in this chapter to help me: Warriors Into the Wild is not mine; it's Erin Hunter's, and though I really wished I did own it, Santa has never granted me that wish. Well, it IS mine in a way, I own the book, but, you know what I mean! Actually, the whole SERIES isn't mine, okay? **

**warriorcrazy: Don't worry about Foxfur**

**Queen Of The Pens: Yes, all the deaths are depressing, but doesn't it keep you in the story?**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: I UPDATED! How do you feel now?**

**Dreamheart: Oh, so sad you don't have your own copy! I'll send you a basic idea of what it is (Well, the parts that involve ShadowClan, anyway, or you could always look in the warriors timeline on the website!**

**Review!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	14. The Gathering II

**So sorry I didn't update yesterday! You see, I was on a ROLL and I WOULD have updated yesterday, except my stupid teachers, ALL of them, decided to dump homework on me until I drowned. So I didn't have time. I WAS on Fanfiction yesterday, but this chappie isn't pre-written; it's fresh out of the oven that is my brain. **

**Thanks to my reviewers: Avatar-State craziness, Maplefrost, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, emtollyxtanctorsson, Queen Of The Pens, and Dreamheart. *whistles in appreciation* That's a lot of reviews! Thanks, guys!**

**Enjoy the next part of Newpaw's first Gathering. ;)**

Chapter Thirteen

_Newpaw led Littlepaw to a black ThunderClan_ apprentice, where there were many apprentices from many Clans, badgering the poor cat to tell about the Battle with RiverClan at ThunderClan's Sunningrocks.

"Please, Ravenpaw?" asked one cat.

"I want to know!" said another.

Newpaw wanted to know, too. "Come on, Ravenpaw; tell us what happened!" she said.

The ThunderClan apprentice shook his head and shuffled his paws.

"Come on, Ravenpaw!" insisted another.

Ravenpaw glanced around at the apprentices and his gaze locked on two apprentices at the edge of the crowd. Newpaw followed his gaze and saw the two ThunderClan apprentices from where Runningnose was speaking, the gray one and the fiery pelted one. _Should we leave here? _She thought, ready to spring to her paws if they recognized her.

But Ravenpaw began his story. As he continued with it, Newpaw found herself so into the story of the battle that she was leaning into it, absorbed like a kit listening to an old tale that the elders were telling. Of course, she _was _still a kit.

Ravenpaw ended his story, his amber eyes shining, and he answered his audience's questions with no hesitation.

Suddenly a loud yowl cut the air, making all cats silent and turn their attention to the Great Rock. Newpaw saw a blue-gray she-cat along with Brokenstar, and a tabby. The blue one, she supposed, was Bluestar, the ThunderClan leader. And the tabby had a distinctive jaw, crooked. That must be RiverClan's leader, Crookedstar.

Hushed whispers gradually became louder as the cats realized the WindClan cats were not here. Newpaw grimaced with guilt at driving out WindClan, but then stoned her face, not wanting to give anything away about their whereabouts. She was absolutely stoic.

"We can't start yet," yowled one cat, "Where are the WindClan representatives? We must wait until all Clans are present."

Newpaw felt her and Littlepaw's fur bristle defensively, but quickly they flattened it.

On the Great Rock, Bluestar stepped forward. "Cats of all Clans, welcome. It is true that WindClan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway."

Her leader padded up silently beside Bluestar, and he meowed, "Friends, I come to speak to you tonight about the needs of ShadowClan-"

He was interrupted by impatient voices below. "Where is Tallstar?"

"Where are the WindClan warriors?"

_I don't know, _thought Newpaw,_ but they should come back. We need all four Clans._

Brokenstar growled impatiently, "As the leader of ShadowClan, it is my right to address you here!" The cats fell silent immediately.

"We all know that the hard time of leaf-bare, and late newleaf, have left us with little prey in our hunting grounds. But we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan lost many kit in the freezing weather that came so late this season. ShadowClan did not lose kits."

_No, we didn't, _agreed Newpaw silently.

"We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with to many mouths to feed, and to little prey to feed them. The needs of ShadowClan are simple. In order to survive, we must increase our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories." finished Brokenstar.

At the last statement, howls of outraged rippled through the other Clans. "Share our hunting grounds?" called a large dark tabby.

"It is unprecedented!" yowled another. "The Clans have never shared hunting rights!"

"Should ShadowClan be punished because our kits thrive? Do you want us to watch our young starve?" At Brokenstar's yowl, Newpaw glanced at her belly, which, even with WindClan rabbits, was still hollow with hunger. "You _must_ share what you have with us."

_"Must!"_ spat a ThunderClan elder.

"Must." Brokenstar repeated. "WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory."

Outraged snarls burst from the cats, but Brokenstar continued, his voice ringing louder than the clamor. "And, if we have to, we will drive you all from your hunting grounds to feed our hungry kits."

Instant silence. Satisfied, Brokenstar continued, "Each year, the Twolegs spoil more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong if all the Clans are to survive. ShadowClan thrives while you all struggle. And there may come a time when you will need us to protect you."

"You doubt our strength?" a ThunderClan warrior hissed in fury.

Brokenstar ignored him. "I do not ask for your answer now. You must each go away and consider my words. But bear this in mind: Would you prefer to share your prey, or be driven out and left homeless and starving?"

The other Clans looked at each other in disbelief. After an anxious pause, Crookedstar came forward. "I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory."

Newpaw widened her eyes in disbelief as the RiverClan cats rippled with horror and humiliation. Was this battle so easily won? Was RiverClan _that _afraid of them? They didn't even try! She didn't like this; she wanted ShadowClan to be respected, not feared. And those were not the same thing. In her thoughts, she missed what Crookedstar said next.

The next thing she heard was a ThunderClan elder say, "And what of ThunderClan? Bluestar? Have you, too, agreed to this outrageous demand?"

Bluestar replied patiently, "I have made no agreement with Brokenstar except that I will discuss his proposal with my Clan after the Gathering." Newpaw decided she liked Bluestar.

Then Brokenstar's voice meowed something Newpaw hoped he wouldn't say. He told them about Yellowfang. He didn't mention her by name, no, but it was her.

* * *

At the end of the Gathering, Newpaw had good reason to be nervous. She and the other apprentices in her Clan hurried to follow Brokenstar. But she felt a cat's eyes on her. Who? She looked behind her to see glowing emerald green eyes shining right toward her and her friends. It was that flame-colored apprentice from ThunderClan. She quickly turned back, fur fluffed in discomfort.

* * *

Darkpaw mewed softly, "That wasn't really what I thought a Gathering would be like."

She shook her head. "Me neither."

Marshypaw padded up, eyes wide. "Wow! That… that…"

"Was unexpected?" Newpaw guessed.

"Yeah, that we get to hunt in RiverClan's territory? Wow! I've never seen a river before! I want to hunt in it a soon as possible." Marshypaw declared.

_I suppose you would,_ thought Newpaw, looking at her friend's shrunken belly. All cats in ShadowClan were hungry, that much that Brokenstar had said was true. But maybe he was going about getting more food in the wrong way.

Suddenly Squirrelpaw's voice chimed in her head, and her sister's scent wreathed around her. _That's right, Newpaw. ShadowClan will survive whether or not they share hunting grounds with the other Clans. Driving out WindClan was wrong._

_Um, Squirrelpaw? I think I know that already._

Squirrelpaw let out a _mrrow _of laughter. _Just making sure you're on the right path, Newpaw. Just making sure you're on the right path._

**Um, how did you think of it? It was longer than my usual chapters, but I REALLY wanted to include the mini-conversation with Squirrelpaw (May she rest in StarClan). And with Marshypaw and Darkpaw. Hmm… I realize Littlepaw was silent this chapter. Don't worry, he was just thinking about what Brokenstar was saying, much like Newpaw.**

**Avatar-State craziness: Thank you!**

**Maplefrost: I liked that scene too. That's why I included it. I also included the scen with Ravenpaw, because I LOVE him, and I felt like it. ;) And… BLUESTAR! YAY! I also included Firepaw/heart/star. YAY!**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: I updated again! I almost didn't. That would've been HORRIBLE!**

**emtollyxtanctorsson: Thank you! But the main character's name is Newpaw. And yes, Littlepaw does become Littlecloud in later Warriors books.**

**Queen Of The Pens: Hmm… How do you think it's clever? It's just a young ShadowClan kit-apprentice's view of the chaos in ShadowClan at this time.**

**Dreamheart: Yes it would. Hope you didn't get bored this chapter, because it had SO mUC of the Gathering in it. But it had Squirrelpaw, so that's good. ****J**


	15. Spies

**Hi again guys! Whew, I got SO MANY reviews last chapter! And I am one of those people who freak when they get like, only ONE review, so EIGHT REVIEWS is A LOT for me. Thanks so much: BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, o0snowlight0o, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, emtollyxtanctorsson, Dreamheart, and Anonymous. I luvs you all!**

**I have some AMAZING plot twists ahead… I hope you like it. Heeeeree's NEWPAW!**

Chapter Fourteen

_"Newpaw." A voice growled. Newpaw looked up _to see Blackfoot looming over her.

It was right after the Gathering, and Newpaw was eating her meager scraps of crow-food. Each time she took a bite, she retched, and it tasted disgusting. But it was still food. She swallowed the piece that was in her mouth, grimacing in disgust.

"Yes, Blackfoot?" she asked respectfully. "What is it you want?"

Blackfoot gestured with his head to Brokenstar's den. "Brokenstar wants you, Darkpaw and Littlepaw to see him immediately."

"Why?"

Blackfoot's eyes flashed in annoyance before meowing, "I don't know. Just go. Are you going to disobey your leader and deputy?"

Newpaw shook her head. "No."

"Then go find Darkpaw and Littlepaw!" he spat, and she backed away quickly.

She went into the apprentice den, knowing Darkpaw and Littlepaw were in there. They were sitting, sharing tongues. "Um, Darkpaw? Littlepaw?"

Instantly the two were alert, pricking their ears.

"Yeah?" asked Littlepaw.

"Brokenstar wants to see us. And, um, talk to us, I guess." Newpaw explained.

Darkpaw looked thoughtful. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. He just wants to talk. We'd better get to his den pretty quick."

"Yeah," Littlepaw hastily agreed, and he looked into Newpaw's eyes. An unspoken message went through their eyes: _I hope it won't be like last time._

* * *

Newpaw led her littermate and her friend to Brokenstar's den and entered.

Brokenstar looked much like the last time she was here, sitting patiently on his bedding. He narrowed his eyes. "Newpaw. Darkpaw. Littlepaw. Good, you're all fine, then."

Newpaw frowned. Since when did _Brokenstar_ care about his apprentices' wellbeing? She blinked her vibrant blue eyes at him, and asked, "Why do you need us?"

Brokenstar stood up and blocked the way out of his den with his body and he hushed his voice. "I need you three to do a job for me." He whispered.

"What is it?" asked Newpaw, frowning.

"It's a secret," he continued, as if he hadn't heard her.

"What is it?" Darkpaw asked this time.

Brokenstar glanced at the dark black apprentice. "If you do this for me, you'll get your warrior name."

Newpaw and Littlepaw pricked their ears. Darkpaw widened his eyes. How could they become warriors after only two moons of training? They were only five moons old, for StarClan's sake. Yet at the same time Newpaw wanted it so much. To be a warrior…

"What is it?" she demanded now, not caring if she was disrespecting the leader.

"I need you to spy on ThunderClan's camp."

Newpaw's blood froze. What? Spy on the ThunderClan camp? "Why?" she croaked, her voice unsteady.

"Because I need to know what they're doing. I need to know when to attack. ThunderClan's not going to let us share their territory; you saw them just now, didn't you?" Brokenstar explained.

She nodded, unable to speak.

Brokenstar continued. "And I need Darkpaw because his fur is black; it'll blend with the shadows easily. Do you know why I chose you and Littlepaw, too?"

She shook her head, still at a loss for words.

"Because you two are the smallest apprentices in the Clan. No, not the _youngest,_ the _smallest_, as in _size_. You three, apart from Marshypaw, are the oldest apprentices we have in ShadowClan, the most experienced. That's why I chose you."

Darkpaw frowned. "Why not Marshypaw? She's older than all of us."

"Because I need Marshypaw to hunt and stay here to get the Clan strong for our attack. And, besides, her brown fur would stick out, and… she just isn't the best cat. I need stealthy cats, and unfortunately, Marshypaw is a bit less than stealthy. This doesn't mean she won't get her warrior name; she'll fight in the battle, and if she survives, then she'll be a warrior. But you three are my spies. Are you ready?"

The three apprentices glanced at each other. Newpaw knew this wasn't right. But she couldn't challenge Brokenstar.

They nodded.

Their leader looked pleased. "Good. Now, I need you to go to ThunderClan's camp, and see what's going on. Don't join them, don't give yourselves away, just watch them. Follow patrols. I want an account of what happens every day, so send one of you to report back. Understood?"

The three apprentices straightened. "Yes, Brokenstar!"

"Good. Don't forget to disguise your scent. You know how to disguise your scent, I hope?"

"Yes."

The ShadowClan leader nodded. "Very well. Go now. I shall tell your mentors where you're going. And don't mess up."

* * *

Newpaw, Darkpaw, and Littlepaw's feet pounded silently in the forest. They'd crossed into ThunderClan territory a little while ago, and they'd hid their scent before entering their territory. They followed all the freshest scents, sure they would lead to the camp.

Newpaw gazed up at the canopy of trees, and beyond that, the glittering stars of StarClan and the full moon that floated in the sky. _StarClan, help me do the right thing. I'm afraid to do it._

For the second time this night, Squirrelpaw answered, _StarClan will help, Newpaw. But we cannot do everything. _You _must make the choice._

Suddenly, Newpaw scented many cats, an almost overwhelming number of them if she didn't have such a large Clan too. They had arrived. She crept over to find the entrance was a ravine. She gulped; they would have to climb down the trails of this dark ravine at night. Was there another entrance? She thought hopefully.

Darkpaw saw her hesitation, and whispered, "It's okay. Follow me." He led them down, very carefully so they didn't slip and get discovered. Darkpaw scented the air. "Come on, we can't use the main entrance. I think there's another this way."

_Thank StarClan!_

She scented where she was stepping. Would ThunderClan recognize this as a cat's scent? It didn't smell of anything, only of ferns that they had rolled in to cover their scent. She smelled her own fur. Only ferns. Good. They wouldn't be noticed.

They crouched, far enough outside of the camp but close enough to be in earshot of everything that was happening and close enough so they could see.

She could her Bluestar's voice echoing through the clearing. "…I shall travel to the Moonstone tomorrow. The warriors of StarClan will give me the strength I need to lead ThunderClan through this dark time. You must all rest. We have a lot to do when daylight comes. I wish to talk with Lionheart now."

The three apprentices looked at each other in shock. The Moonstone! Would they have to follow the ThunderClan leader there? Or stay there at the ThunderClan camp? "One of us has to report." breathed Newpaw.

Her friends shook their heads.

"No, tomorrow we will first thing in the morning. At sunrise one of us will go." said Darkpaw. It made sense, thought Newpaw. They'd be too tired. The run to ThunderClan territory had been enough for her; she was ready to sleep, sleep, sleep.

"But who's going to report to Brokenstar?" asked Littlepaw.

Darkpaw looked at Newpaw, and he mewed, "I'll do it. You two rest. I'll be out before sunrise."

Newpaw nodded. "I'll take first watch. You two sleep."

Darkpaw gazed into her eyes with his, blue and blue, his with a challenge, hers with determination. His eyes said, _I'll take first watch._

"You can't take first watch _and_ report to Brokenstar, smarty-paws! One or the other. Not both." She purred softly.

He scowled at her, and curled up next to Littlepaw, closing his dark blue eyes.

Newpaw pricked her ears, instantly on full alert. She gazed at the stars again, and thought, _This is wrong. But please let ThunderClan be prepared for our attack. Let them be okay. And let ShadowClan and WindClan be okay too._

**Okay! What did you think of THAT? Huh? I'm not even sure if it's possible for them to spy on the ThunderClan camp like this, but the idea WOULD NOT LEAVE ME ALONE. Me and my stupid brain with all its ideas.**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: Newpaw's destiny is mine to control. She is an OC, an original character. She's not in the real books.**

**o0snowlight0o: Thank you for saying that I have good ideas! And, yes, the battle will be a bit different…**

**Maplefrost: Your review made me laugh! How do you cuddle an update? I don't know. And to answer your earlier question: Darkpaw is an original character too. He's a product of my imagination. Darn, I should check Fire and Ice, though! It would help me with apprentice names! **

**Queen Of The Pens: Why don't you like Marshypaw? Just asking.**

**emtollyxtanctorsson and Dreamheart: Thanks for reviewing!**

**warriorcrazy: What do you mean? About Newpaw and Littlepaw? **

**Anonymous: Thanks! And, so you know, I'm a VERY impatient person. I've already answered that question in my author's notes. It REALLY annoys me that I have to say it again, but… what can I do? Yes, he does. LITTLEPAW DOES BECOME LITTLECLOUD. Okay? Good.**

**So, guys, review!**

**~Coqui's Song.**


	16. Caught

**Oh, guys! I'm soooooo sorry I haven't updated in a few days! So sorry. I've had… complications in my life right now, but I'm still finding time to update, so be grateful! Thanks to all my reviewers: Dreamheart, Queen Of The Pens, emtollyxtanctorsson, o0snowlight0o, Maplefrost, GreenfireorTideclan21, and last but certainly not least, Snowblossom! Thanks, guys! Well, here's more Newpaw!**

Chapter Fifteen

_Newpaw shivered, looking up_ at the dark blue sky filled with stars. She glanced at the horizon and padded up to Darkpaw. It was a few hours till sunrise, but Darkpaw needed time to get to the ShadowClan camp, tell Brokenstar, and come back again to tell Newpaw and Littlepaw Brokenstar's plans.

Newpaw nudged Darkpaw's shoulder. Darkpaw growled in his sleep, and curled up tighter. She shook him again. "Wake up, Darkpaw," she whispered.

Darkpaw uncurled himself slowly, and blinked up at her sleepily. In the next instant, he was tensed and fully awake. "Oh, oh, right." He mewed, shaking his head. He looked at Newpaw with his dark blue eyes. "Thanks for waking me. I'll be right there." He promised, then licked her cheek.

Newpaw flinched away, sticking out her tongue and rubbed off Darkpaw's slobbery lick. Darkpaw's eyes were filled with amusement.

He turned to Littlepaw and frowned. "Should we wake him up?"

Newpaw looked at her brother. She was amazingly tired, and she really wanted to sleep. Newpaw nodded. "Yeah, I'll wake him up. It's his turn to keep watch."

Darkpaw nodded in agreement. "Okay. You go to sleep, Newpaw. You look asleep on your paws. I'll wake Littlepaw up, don't worry."

That was the last thing she heard him say before she fell into deep slumber.

* * *

"Newpaw, wake up." A paw poked her in the ribs.

"Hey," she growled mildly, "Go away."

Hot breath filled her ear. "Newpaw, c'mon. We have to follow ThunderClan to the Moonstone." Darkpaw's voice.

She awoke much like Darkpaw had, instantly awake. "What?"

"Come on," said Darkpaw, his black fur sticking up. He scented the air anxiously, looked up at the horizon. "We have to get ahead of them, so they don't see us. The ShadowClan scent in WindClan's territory will keep us safe; they'll think nothing of it, because that territory's ours now."

Newpaw tipped her head to the side. That was probably the longest statement she'd ever heard Darkpaw say, and it was right. She nodded hesitantly. "Okay."

The three small apprentices headed out into WindClan territory ahead of the ThunderClan cats. Puffing her breath, Newpaw remembered hunting here, and not only that, but the death of her sister and brother and friends.

"I think, Darkpaw," she puffed after they were about halfway to the Moonstone, "That we should slow down. We don't want to lose them."

Darkpaw twitched his ear in acknowledgement. "Okay. I'm hungry. Let's hunt."

The three cats hunted, only catching one skinny rabbit. They shared it, and they were soon full. A strange scent made Newpaw alert. ThunderClan scent. "Scatter!" she whispered, and they dove into hiding.

Bluestar's blue pelt wasn't as easy to see as Ravenpaw's. Or the fiery apprentice. Graypaw, the other ThunderClan apprentice they'd met at the gathering, was fine, his pelt blended with the rock. Another warrior was with them, a large dark brown tabby tom.

Newpaw flattened herself, and watched the ThunderClan cats closely, following them silently. Soon they got to the Thunderpath. It was the same Thunderpath that was part of their shared border with ThunderClan, but now, it was scarier. Why? There was no place to cross. Not tunnel. They'd have to cross it by themselves.

They watched how the ThunderClan leader crossed, and Ravenpaw, and Graypaw. The next apprentice- Newpaw had heard his name to be Firepaw, a fitting name, really- was next, but a monster almost ran him over, though he was on the verge. The other warrior- Tigerclaw- went last, cursing the Twolegs as he went.

The ShadowClan apprentices got across, just barely. A monster almost scraped Newpaw's pelt, Darkpaw almost got run over, and Littlepaw got bumped a bit before sprinting to the other side.

They gasped in relief. They'd thought they would be dead, already.

"You okay?" asked Newpaw to Darkpaw and Littlepaw.

Darkpaw caught his breath before answering, "I'm fine, but I hope we don't do that again."

"Stupid Twolegs." gasped Littlepaw. "I thought I was fresh-kill."

"Me too," agreed Newpaw, "But we'll have to do it again." _To report to Brokenstar for our stupid sneak attack. It isn't right._

Darkpaw groaned, disappointed. But Newpaw was right.

The excitement got their hearts pumping, and Newpaw was hungry again. _We're eating better out of our Clan than in it, _thought Newpaw.

"Hey, who's hungry again?" asked Newpaw. She wasn't going to say she was hungry again. Not yet.

Darkpaw looked at her, surprised. He lifted his forepaw and washed it, rubbing it on his face to wash his face, then put it down. "Yeah, a little bit. Why, are you?"

"A little bit," admitted Newpaw reluctantly.

"Hey, me too. Let's eat." agreed Littlepaw.

* * *

They hunted in the woods near the Moonstone, hunting together, because that was the only way they knew _how_ to hunt.

Newpaw crouched, seeing a mouse tail flickering in front of her muzzle. She flicked her tail to signal that Darkpaw and Littlepaw should fan out again, like they had on the moor.

She wiggled her rump to ready herself to spring, and right before, a large cat sprang on her, snarling.

_Help!_ She thought, afraid to call her friends in case the ThunderClan cats heard. Too late, this cat was the dark ThunderClan warrior they had seen with the group of ThunderClan cats traveling to the Moonstone.

She struggled, finally realizing that the cat wasn't hurting her. Tigerclaw let her up, and hesitantly Darkpaw and Littlepaw came out of the shadows.

Tigerclaw glared down at them, and growled. "ShadowClan apprentices. What are you doing here?"

Newpaw stared up at him with wide eyes, not daring to reply.

"Spies, I presume?"

Still Newpaw or the other apprentices didn't answer.

"Well, then in that case, I have a proposal for you three."

** CLIFFY! Okay! That's it for now. Please review! Thanks:**

**Dreamheart: there's your answer!**

**Queen Of The Pens: maybe it could happen, possibly. But maybe not…**

**Emtollyxtactorsson: Thank you! And yes, Newpaw is very dedicated to doing the right thing, but part of her is to scared too… so she goes with the flow.**

**o0snowlight0o: I don't know… will her name be Newleaf?**

**Maplefrost: Thanks for being such a dedicated reader/reviewer of this story! And yes, I'd love it if updated like me!**

**GreenfireofTideclan21: Thank you!**


	17. Proposal

**SO SORRY! I haven't updated in... how many days? Let's see... Tuesday... today is Saturday... THREE DAYS! Oh, jeez. I'm SORRY! Thanks to reviewers:**** Avatar-State craziness, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, emtollyxtanctorsson, Dreamheart, and Maplefrost! Here's more Newpaw!**

Chapter Sixteen

_Newpaw was tensed and ready _to fight if that was what Tigerclaw intended. Of course, three tiny ShadowClan apprentices who were about to become warriors though they really should still be in the nursery wouldn't be much of a challenge for this warrior.

"What is it?" Newpaw asked, shaking in fear.

Tigerclaw thrust his head, glaring into Newpaw's normally fierce blue eyes with his own hard amber ones. "I want you to attack ThunderClan tomorrow."

Newpaw tensed even more. "What do you mean?" she whispered.

"Tell Brokenstar to attack ThunderClan tomorrow and be as ruthless as possible."

"Why? What's in it for you? Your Clan will be injured for nothing. And what's in it for us?" Newpaw was truly puzzled. Why did he wish to hurt his own Clan? That was impossible to imagine. Almost.

Tigerclaw snarled in her face. "That is not your concern."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "It is too! You want us to lay siege on your own Clan. Why? Are you a traitor?"

Tigerclaw's eyes flashed murderously. "I am no traitor. And that is _not_ your concern. Now you three go take my message to ShadowClan or I will kill you. Got it?"

Newpaw's mouth was suddenly dry. He would kill her? What was the right thing? To be killed or tell Brokenstar to drive out and possibly kill off ThunderClan? Which was right? She worried. What was the right thing to do?

Tigerclaw pinned her down again. "Got it?"

Newpaw shook her head, speechless.

_Squirrelpaw, what do I do now?_

Tigerclaw's eyes widened. "Then let me show you."

He put his full weight on Newpaw, crushing her, and clawed at her. She hissed in anger, shrieking in agony. _Squirrelpaw!_

_Sorry, Newpaw. I actually really don't know what to do at this point. Your choice._

Newpaw couldn't breathe. She was being crushed by the ThunderClan cat's weight. Help! She thought in panic. Help! She tried to scratch at Tigerclaw's soft belly, but failed.

Tigerclaw held her tighter. "Do you have an answer now, young kit?"

Newpaw only shut her eyes. Just kill me now, she thought, at least I would have made the choice and it would be over for me forever. Peace always. I'd be in StarClan with Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw. Please just kill me already. She wasn't afraid anymore. Not right now.

Tigerclaw leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Well, if you have no answer, it's immediately a no, and I kill you."

_Good. Now kill me and stop me from suffering this, _thought Newpaw. Kill me.

Newpaw opened her vivid blue eyes a sliver and saw Tigerclaw lift his forepaw to claw her throat out, growling. Go ahead, she thought, bracing herself for the brief agony, then the dull ache of being dead. Go now.

From that point on, time went in slow motion. Just as Tigerclaw was swiping with his paw, aiming for her throat, a dark pelt slammed into his side.

"Stop!" the quiet hiss of Darkpaw ordered the warrior.

Darkpaw's blow hadn't knocked Tigerclaw off her, but it surprised him enough to make him back away.

"Stop," Darkpaw repeated. "We'll do it."

Tigerclaw's lips peeled back into a snarl. "How do I know you'll do it?"

"We will," promised Littlepaw, his voice squeaking in fear of the ThunderClan warrior. "We promise. We swear to StarClan."

_Oh, Littlepaw! _She silently scolded her brother, feeling guilty because he probably was only doing this so she wouldn't be murdered.

Shakily, Newpaw stood up. She looked at her wounds, thinking she'd take care of them before they returned to camp.

"Don't forget to pass on the message." Tigerclaw sneered, then turned his back on them, stalking away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, the two toms looked at Newpaw.

"Are you okay?" demanded Darkpaw, his black fur fluffed up with fear for his friend.

"Splendid. I just was almost killed… hmm… _again_, and I have to report to Brokenstar and tell him to attack a warrior's own Clan." muttered Newpaw sarcastically. "So I'd say I'm just fine."

Darkpaw rolled his eyes. "Well, you at least have your sharp tongue. And StarClan knows that's such a great thing." Apparently, two could play at Newpaw's game.

Newpaw glared at him, and it was strange, two pairs of blue eyes glowering at each other, while their pelt colors were in contrast, Newpaw's white fur, Darkpaw's black pelt. For some reason, Newpaw realized there were different colors of blue in Darkpaw's eyes. She'd never noticed that before. They were mostly dark blue, but glinted with small speckles of clear sky blue around his pupils.

They were beautiful eyes, thought Newpaw, suddenly feeling a spark of anger again. Probably his tools to win a glaring contest, his tools to get whatever he wished; to get all the answers he wanted.

"Newpaw?" asked Littlepaw, hesitantly interrupting their glaring contest. "Do you need herbs?"

She turned her head to her brother, staring at him blankly. "Uh, yeah. It kind of hurts."

Littlepaw nodded. "Okay. We'll leave now," he paused to look up at the sky, at the moon, his amber eyes sending a shiver down her spine. Amber eyes scared her now, even though it was stupid because this was her own brother. "And we'll get some cobwebs and marigold on the way to the ShadowClan camp."

"There's a shorter route," said Darkpaw, "Right across another Thunderpath, though."

Of course, because StarClan forbid there be more than one tunnel across a Thunderpath.

**Again, so sorry I didn't update in SUCH a long time! This chapter is really tense, I know. In more than one way, I hope you pick up on it… I hate Tigerclaw/star. I probably will never refer to him as Tigerstar, though. He doesn't deserve it. *Coqui proceeds to go to the ****Dark****Forest**** and claws Tigerstar's eyes out* "FOR STARCLAN!"**

**Anyway… I always wondered what really happened when he framed Ravenpaw. Was it just a strange coincidence that ShadowClan attacked ThunderClan just as Bluestar and the others came back? Or was he in the league with some ShadowClan warriors? Some question might never be answered, but this is my theory.**

**Avatar-State craziness: Yep. He's evil.**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: Oh, no! I LOVE Mexican food! But… Puerto Rican food is better. ;) **

**emtollyxtanctorsson: Thank you! Why, yes he IS a murdering manic. :) **

**Dreamheart: I know it's their name for spring, but does it say in the warrior code what names they can use or not? Nope. Besides, there can be more than one "mouse" something or "ash" something in a Clan. There is no rule for namings. AND my fave thing about Fanfiction: my story= my rules. But Thanks for reviewing! I luvs all my reviewers! :)**

**Maplefrost: Wow. That sounds like a harsh mind you got. "I hate you because I can't hate you!" It's HILARIOUS, really. ;)**

**_~Coqui's Song_**


	18. Arrival

**So. I went to bed with on Saturday with 74 reviews and woke up with 81 reviews! Wow! And yesterday (Couldn't update because I was out Trick-or-Treating. It was fun!), I got 2 more! You guys must love my story! Thanks: Queen Of The Pens, Dreamheart, Gabalot, Tangleflame, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, Emtollyxtanctorsson, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, warriorcrazy, Maplefrost, and snowlight! Here's more Newpaw!**

Chapter Seventeen

_The three ShadowClan apprentices_ who were acting as spies hurriedly went across the land of the Moonstone, not crossing the Thunderpath into WindClan territory, but going to cross a different Thunderpath right into ShadowClan territory.

Before they'd left, they'd patched up Newpaw's wounds as best they could, and now Newpaw was limping as quickly along, trying to keep up, hissing in pain and fury at Tigerclaw under her breath.

"You okay?" Darkpaw frequently asked her, and now he asked her again. "You need to stop and rest?"

Newpaw briskly shook her head no, wanting this to just be over, wanting to get all this over with. "No, I'm fine, Darkpaw. And I don't need rest. I just want to go home."

"Yeah," said Darkpaw, trailing off in thought.

It was night now, and the three ShadowClan cats were more comfortable in their own element: the Darkness of Night. They stalked through the trees, a blur in the night. Even Newpaw, in her bright white fur, was more confident in the moon's glow than in the harsh brightness of the sun. Here was what made ShadowClan different from all other Clans.

Newpaw skidded to a halt as she almost blindly ran over the Thunderpath. "Whoa!"

Darkpaw and Littlepaw stopped next to her. They crept to the verge, checking both ways for monsters. One passed them, eyes blindingly bright. Newpaw narrowed her eyes, gathering herself to run as fast as she can across this Thunderpath. Thankfully, though, this one wasn't nearly as big as the one to cross from WindClan territory to the Moonstone. It was a shorter route, too.

No monsters. All three of them crossed at the same time, running as fast as possible. They reached the other verge, panting. Newpaw had run so fast she was retching and gulping for air. She flopped down onto the cool grass.

Dew was starting to form now, and Newpaw welcomed the coolness it brought to her thick fur. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage. But then a five moon old cat didn't have as much courage as a fully grown warrior, did she?

"Newpaw, come on, let's go." Littlepaw poked her.

"I know," she said, and she stood up, shaking her pelt. "Let's go."

* * *

They were welcomed into the ShadowClan camp with anxious mews and demands. What had they found out? When were they going to attack?

Newpaw didn't answer any of their questions. She led Darkpaw and Littlepaw straight to Brokenstar's den. Praying to StarClan Brokenstar was in a good mood, she entered his den.

"Brokenstar?" she asked tentatively.

He looked up and growled, "Yes, Newpaw? What have you to report?"

"Well, Bluestar, three apprentices, and a large warrior, Tigerclaw was his name, right, Littlepaw?" She turned to her brother, who nodded a quick yes. She turned back to Brokenstar. "Yes, well, they went to the Moonstone."

"Tigerclaw?" asked Brokenstar.

She nodded. "You know him?"

Brokenstar narrowed his eyes. "Yes. He's one of ThunderClan's strongest warriors." He looked at Newpaw more intently. "He's with Bluestar, you say?"

She nodded. "Yes, he is. It was definitely Tigerclaw. He's a large dark brown tabby, right?"

Brokenstar nodded. "We must make use of this time while the ThunderClan leader, three of her five apprentices and one of her strongest warriors are away at the Moonstone. We must ready ourselves to strike."

"When?"

"Tomorrow, at sunhigh."

Newpaw forced herself to nod, though she felt sick. "Tomorrow at sunhigh, then."

"You may leave, but Newpaw, I have another job for you tomorrow when we leave to attack ThunderClan."

Newpaw's stomach felt sick, and she just wanted to leave the den, and escape from all of this. "Yes, Brokenstar? What is it?"

"I want you to show us where the ThunderClan camp is, so we won't have to find it like we did with WindClan's."

Newpaw swallowed. "So, we are to go to the battle as well? I thought we would get our warrior names."

"Yes, you will go all three of you, including Marshypaw. You will get your warrior names when I think it's right. If you survive the battle, I will make you warriors."

"Yes, Brokenstar." She hated plotting like this.

He nodded for the three apprentices to leave, and they backed away slowly, not sure if Brokenstar should suddenly attack them. But Brokenstar was wise enough to know he needed the three apprentices to win, and they'd be of no use to him dead on the eve of a battle.

* * *

Newpaw took her share of crowfood, and flinched in disgust. It hadn't take much to get used to eating fresh-kill when she was spying on ThunderClan, and now she was back to eating crowfood. She wondered if the fish they'd hunted in RiverClan territory had already been eaten, and that was why there was only crowfood in the pile.

She peeled her lips back in a snarl. All the other Clans had a fresh-kill pile. ShadowClan? They had a crowfood pile.

She sat down outside the apprentice den and sighed. She'd been right; they had been eating better outside of ShadowClan while they were spying than in it. Newpaw snuffled around her piece, scenting for the least rotten parts of the meat, so she wouldn't have to gag her way through eating it.

Darkpaw dropped his crowfood down next to her and sat down, pawing at his food distastefully. In ShadowClan, they'd been taught to not be picky about what they'd eat, but crowfood was too much, even if Newpaw had been eating crowfood ever since she was in the nursery.

"I think, Newpaw, that we ate better when we were in enemy territory, spying on ThunderClan, than here, in our own Clan, our own territory." Darkpaw mewed.

"Me too." She glanced up at him, and grinned. "But I thought it first."

He flashed her a glare, and replied, "No you didn't."

"Did too." She teased, and looked back at her food again, frowning. She hissed out a breath, and slowly took a bite.

It was, as Newpaw predicted, disgusting. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to vomit. This was her food.

It amazed her how she'd gotten used to fresh-kill so quickly.

"It's revolting," stated Newpaw, "But we have to eat. We have to be strong for the battle."

"I hope we become warriors after the battle."

"I just hope we survive."

"I suppose so," sighed Darkpaw, taking a bite, "But if we survive the battle, then we will be warriors, along with Marshypaw."

"Yeah, I guess so." She didn't say her secret wish: to be free of it all.

She looked up at the sky, saw the dawn light softening the night sky, and knew that this battle, there'd be no getting out of the way. She'd seen the ThunderClan camp, seen their strength. She knew they'd lose this battle, even if she survived.

**Okay! Well, not much action in this chappie, but don't worry; there's LOADS of it coming later!**

**Queen Of The Pens: High-5 back to ya!**

**Dreamheart: Thank you! Wow, you must REALLY like this story if you were checking your emails every half hour. Sorry it was an agonizingly long wait, especially because it was a cliffhanger!**

**Gabalot: Thank you! Hope you wanna read even MORE!**

**Tangleflame: Thanks, but I'm not allowed to say so yet…**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: Thank you! But again, not gonna say so yet…**

**Emtollyxtanctorsson: Yeah? I guess so…**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: Okay! FOOD FIGHT! You take the Tacos and Quesadillas; I'll get the Pasteles and the Arroz con Habichulas! Uh, you ARE Hispanic, right?**

**warriorcrazy: Yeah, Squirrelpaw wasn't…. But it was SUPPOSED to be a little humor…**

**Maplefrost: Yeah, me too. That's my theory.**

**snowlight: Yeah, Thanks! I'll use it.**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	19. Battle

**Wow! I got so many reviews! You guys must love my story! Thank you: Gabalot, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, Tangleflame, Queen Of The Pens, emtollyxtanctorsson, Sky Fireheart, snowlight, and warriorcrazy! Here's a much awaited (at least I hope it's awaited!) chapter!**

Chapter Eighteen

_The ShadowClan cats burst _through the tunnel, Newpaw, Littlepaw, and Darkpaw at its lead, and following them were Brokenstar, Clawface, and Blackfoot. The rest of ShadowClan followed silently, through the shadows.

It was daylight, more of a challenge to attack a Clan, because the Clans are more active during the day, and patrols would be out, and hunting parties too, so there would be a greater chance of being discovered. However, there would also be fewer cats in camp, and so there would be a greater chance of winning of they _didn't _get discovered, thought Newpaw, hating her mind for thinking it.

Newpaw flicked her jet-black tail when they got to the ThunderClan border, feeling utterly self-conscious, because she was just an apprentice and she was in front of her leader. The ShadowClan cats stopped, and Brokenstar came in beside her, scenting the air for ThunderClan patrols.

He nodded at the three apprentices to go on, and he followed them closely, right next to Newpaw, making her feel more afraid. She wished desperately that her mentor, Foxfur was next to her.

She panted, setting a brisk pace for the ShadowClan cats. She felt eyes on her, and turned to see Foxfur breaking ranks and catching up with her.

"You anxious about the battle?" asked her mentor.

Newpaw suddenly felt immeasurably safer with Foxfur right next to her. "A little."

Foxfur grinned sadly. "Don't worry. You'll be fine." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" she asked her mentor.

She shook her head, "Newpaw, I just want you to fight the best you can tonight. I just won't be able to teach you anything after this. You won't be my apprentice anymore."

"I'll be a warrior," murmured Newpaw sadly. She didn't want to be a warrior yet; she still had to learn to hunt! Yet part of her wished to be a warrior also. And she loved her mentor; Foxfur was the greatest mentor any cat could have.

Foxfur nodded. She reached down and licked Newpaw's cheek comfortingly, and mewed, "It'll be fine."

Darkpaw hissed a warning, and Newpaw shut her mouth. They were near the ThunderClan camp now; Brokenstar had gone ahead and was crouching down. Foxfur bent her head and whispered into Newpaw's ear, "Remember all I taught you, Newpaw. Do as best you can, and if you need help, I'll be right there with you."

Newpaw nodded with fake enthusiasm, again wishing they didn't have to do this, not to another Clan. Hadn't ShadowClan caused enough suffering? Not only to WindClan or RiverClan, but to their own? Why did they have to drag ThunderClan into this?

Brokenstar flicked his tail, and the ShadowClan cats slipped through the ravine and into the main entrance of the ThunderClan camp. Brokenstar growled, and instantly the clearing of the ThunderClan camp was alive with screeching, fighting cats.

Newpaw burst through the entrance, eyes darting around to find a cat to fight. Her eyes locked on a ginger she-cat, an apprentice by the looks of her, and flew at her. The she-cat grunted as Newpaw collided with her, and they flailed at each other.

Newpaw winced as the ginger she-cat's claws scratched her ear. She retaliated, biting the she-cat's shoulder. The ThunderClan apprentice shrieked in pain and fury, and pinned Newpaw down.

She screamed in rage, kicking up with her hind legs. A black pelt launched on the apprentice, and the ThunderClan cat hissed, being forced away from Newpaw.

Newpaw knew exactly who had come to her rescue; of course she would, she'd lost count how many times he had. She snarled up at Darkpaw, and his eyes glittered with amusement.

"Thanks," she grumbled, and she shook herself.

Darkpaw grinned. "You're welcome," he said.

Newpaw huffed in annoyance. How come they were best friends but he got under her fur so much?

She suddenly heard the ShadowClan cats yell in surprise, and saw the returning ThunderClan cats from the Moonstone burst through the entrance.

The fiery colored apprentice leaped toward her, and stopped. She narrowed her bright blue eyes at him, daring him to ask her why she was so small. Come on! She dared, arching her back and hissing.

Firepaw hesitated. If he wasn't going to fight her; then _she'd_ fight _him!_ She launched herself at him, and snarled and hissed. Firepaw was clearly surprised; he jerked back, but he pushed her away, and she backed away from him, hissing. She wasn't afraid of him; she just had better cats to fight.

She ran to the nursery, hoping desperately that the queens and kits hadn't been killed. A vicious snarl made her jolt back, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw… Yellowfang! A rush of warmth spread through her. She knew this cat well, and was glad she hadn't died.

"Yellowfang!"

The old former medicine cat relaxed for a moment. "Newpaw."

"Yes," she said, "It's me."

Yellowfang tensed again. "I'm not of your Clan anymore. Get out."

Newpaw's ears went flat, and she stepped back. "I'm sorry, Yellowfang, that you were chased out. Did you… did you really kill those apprentices?"

Yellowfang's eyes had so much anger in them; Newpaw wondered why she even asked. "You think I did?"

Newpaw shook her head vigorously, "No!"

Yellowfang's eyes flashed, and Newpaw stepped back more. "I-I'm sorry. I know you didn't, I never believed it for a moment."

The old she-cat dipped her head, and mewed, "Run along now, Newpaw. Your loyalty is to ShadowClan; mine is elsewhere now."

"Yes, Yellowfang."

* * *

It wasn't long until the ShadowClan cats were forced back. They tried to fight, but to no avail. The ShadowClan cats retreated, just as Newpaw predicted.

All the cats ran from the ThunderClan camp, and didn't stop until they reached ShadowClan territory. Panting, she slowed to a walk, Darkpaw padding along next to her, Littlepaw on his other side.

"Oh, wow! That battle was…" Littlepaw fumbled for words.

"Terrifying," supplied Newpaw.

"Oh, yeah," said Littlepaw, "definitely terrifying."

Darkpaw shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, guys! We're going to be warriors now!" Marshypaw was suddenly beside them, her excitement almost making them burst with energy as well.

"Yeah," she agreed.

Warriors!

**Okay, guys! I SERIOUSLY need REVIEWS this chappie! Why? I want you to tell me what you think Darkpaw and Marshypaw's warrior names should be! If I like yours and use it, you get a Newpaw, Darkpaw, Squirrelpaw, Littlepaw, OR Marshypaw plushie! You pick if you win! :) **

**Gabalot: THANK YOU!**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: *launches Puerto Rican food to I'M A FREAKIN TACO by catapult* FOOD FIGHT! YEAH! Now review! Or I'll destroy all Taco Bells in the United States! Seriously, do it, because... I like Taco Bell... **

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: Thanks!**

**Tangleflame: Yeah? Maybe…**

**Queen Of The Pens: I bet that's exactly what Squirrelpaw'd do!**

**Dreamheart: Oh, no! Don't check them at school! You can get in trouble. **

**Emtollyxtanctorsson: Yep! Cute moment.**

**Sky Fireheart: I AM! I update AT LEAST once a week, perhaps more. ;)**

**Snowlight: Newpaw's determined to do what's right, but is afraid to sometimes, she's a bit outspoken, but because she lives in ShadowClan at this time, she's forced to be something different, though she's very sarcastic and intelligent. Darkpaw's more reserved, and sarcastic. **

**Warriorcrazy: Yep!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	20. Warriors

**Okay, guys! We gots winners! Only one, actually. The name for Marshypaw shall be (drumroll, please!)…. MARSHYPOOL! Congrats, Maplefrost! You won a Newpaw (or Darkpaw, Littlepaw, or Marshypaw) plushie! For Darkpaw, many wanted Darkshadow, or Darkspirit. I particularly liked Avatar-State craziness for saying Darkwind. That one's good! But…. None of you won. :( **

**It's not that I didn't LIKE them; just that Darkshadow is a touch repetitive; we already know he's a ShadowClan cat. Why should he need "shadow" in his name? Darkspirit….It's nice; I like it. HOWEVER, though he is secretive and has black fur, he's not EVIL… his heart is not black.**

**So who won the plushie? I DID! Why? I came up with it. I will not tell you! Read to find out!**

Chapter Nineteen

_Newpaw closed her eyes_ as the Clan was called in front of the Boulder Pile. She wouldn't be Newpaw anymore; she'd be a warrior from now on. It both excited and scared her. She was so small! But she could fight. Hunting was something she needed to work on, but fighting? She was a master.

Darkpaw, Marshypaw, and Littlepaw twitched with excitement next to her. Her heart thudded in her chest; what was to be her name? Newwish? Newlight? Newspirit? What about Darkpaw's? Littlepaw's? Marshypaw's?

Brokenstar threw his head up and yowled, "We are gathered here today to make four ShadowClan apprentices into warriors. Newpaw, Darkpaw, Littlepaw, Marshypaw, you have all fought well today, though we did lose the battle."

Newpaw flinched. Did Brokenstar think it was their fault they lost the battle?

"I, Brokenstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warrior in their turn." At this Brokenstar's eyes glinted, and he appeared to look right at the four apprentices. Newpaw shuddered.

"Newpaw, Littlepaw, Darkpaw, Marshypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" asked Brokenstar.

Taking a deep breath, Newpaw straightened, stepping forward, trembling, trying not to appear nervous, and meowed, loud and clear, "I do."

Darkpaw dipped his head respectfully. "I do." He said quietly.

"I do!" yowled Marshypaw, gray eyes shining with happiness.

Littlepaw stepped forward, shaking and muttered, "I-I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Brokenstar jumped down from the boulders and padded up to the apprentices, who were shivering. Not of cold, but enthusiasm.

He meowed to Marshypaw, "Marshypaw, you shall be known as Marshypool. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and your sympathy towards other cats in the Clan, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." He put his muzzle on her head, and Marshypool had to stretch to reach his shoulder to lick it.

Marshypool padded back to her Clanmates, watching the rest of the ceremony.

"Littlepaw, you shall now be known as Littlecloud. StarClan honors your determination and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Again he put his muzzle on Littlecloud's head, and he licked Brokenstar's shoulder.

Brokenstar turned to Darkpaw. "Darkpaw, you shall be known as Darkwing. StarClan honors your patience and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

After Darkwing had licked Brokenstar's shoulder, Brokenstar looked at Newpaw. Was that some emotion behind those unblinking yellow eyes? Contempt? Mocking? At any rate, Newpaw almost bristled had she not remembered she was in front of the whole Clan.

"Newpaw, you shall now be known as Newleaf. StarClan honors your loyalty and your valiance, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Newleaf's eyes widened; New_leaf_ was her name? But that was their word for spring! How would she know if they were talking of her or the season? Her fur prickled; that was a silly thought. Of course she'd know if they were talking about her or the season, although now the ShadowClan cats muttered among themselves in confusion.

A cat spoke up. "Brokenstar, Newleaf is quite the suitable name for her, but it is a special word for us and-"

Brokenstar cut him off. "And she is a special cat, is she not? Newleaf spied on the ThunderClan cats; she let us know when to attack them!"

"And look what happened; we lost the battle!"

Brokenstar fixed the cat with a yellow stare. "Perhaps that is your fault. Perhaps you did not fight well enough, or maybe StarClan did not intend for us to drive out ThunderClan yet. Anyway, Newleaf is her name, and it shall stay that way. She has been named in the sight of StarClan, and it cannot be changed."

Newleaf flattened her ears in embarrassment, thinking it strange that Brokenstar- _Brokenstar_ of all cats- would defend her. But then, he was leader, so it was his right to defend his namings.

After a moment of hesitation, the Clan chanted their names, and Newleaf's ears ringed, smiling each time they called out their new names. "Darkwing! Marshypool! Littlecloud! Newleaf! Darkwing! Marshypool! Littlecloud! Newleaf!"

Then Brokenstar continued, "Marshypool, Darkwing, Newleaf, and Littlecloud, in the tradition of our ancestors will take on a silent vigil and guard the camp while we sleep. We must be especially wary of ThunderClan, for they might want to launch a revenge attack."

The Clan yowled.

"We will be ready!" a warrior promised.

"They will not win this time; this is our territory!"

"ShadowClan! ShadowClan! ShadowClan!"

* * *

Newleaf- she still found it strange calling herself Newleaf- looked up at the stars, her ears pricked. She was alert, tense, listening for ThunderClan warriors. But she did not believe they would launch an attack. She felt something twitch on her hind leg, and she twisted her head, only to see Darkwing's black tail whisk across her pelt.

They looked in each other's eyes for a long time, then Newleaf broke their gazes, glancing down at her paws.

A wind swished around them softly, and Newleaf tensed more, checking around the camp. Nothing. Good. She scented the air. Just ShadowClan. She padded around the camp, then sat down at the entrance fixing her gaze on the stars once more.

_I made it, Squirrelpaw. Did I do the right thing?_

She hadn't expected a reply, so when she heard Squirrelpaw's voice, she jerked back, flinching. _Don't know, Newleaf. _Did _you? _

**Tada! I named him Darkwing because it's the name of one of my favorite books, and it just so happens I like it. ;)**

**Thank all of you for your names! I liked many of them!**

**Avatar-State craziness: I REALLY liked Darkwind... you change ONE LETTER and it's Dark_wing!_**

**Dreamheart: I'm sorry! Silly me; I didn't check to see if I'd missed any! And Darknight… I like that one! It reminds me of the Batman movie… The Dark Knight…..**

**Maplefrost: I understand… happens to all of us. ;) Thanks for that one! Marshypool… I really liked it! **

**Everyone else: THANK YOU! Don't worry; this isn't the last chapter. Much more for me to write on this story!**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	21. Patrol

**Hi again, guys! Sorry this took so long, but my parents only allow me to have ONE HOUR on the computer a day. I know, it's not a lot, especially since I have eager readers who'd LOVE to read more of my story. Anyway, this chapter was kind of random…. So it's kind of boring…. Enjoy anyway. Thanks to reviewers: Avatar-State craziness, Gabalot, Snowlight, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, Tangleflame, Hawktalon10, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, Dreamheart, and Poppytail.**

Chapter Twenty

_Foxfur crept out of the warriors' _den, heading towards Newleaf, Darkwing, Littlecloud, and Marshypool. She shook her thick fox colored fur, padded up to the new warriors and glanced up at the brightening sky.

"Your vigil is over," she mewed, and smiled warmly at Newleaf. "I'm proud of you."

It was Marshypool who first spoke. "Finally! I'm a warrior now, so I get to tell all the apprentices what to do!"

Newleaf rolled her eyes; she knew it would be especially hard for Marshypool to take her vow of silence; she never stopped talking! But she rarely ever gossiped, and that was always a good thing.

"Of course, because it's like you never did that before now." Darkwing yawned.

Marshypool glanced at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

Littlecloud snickered, looking at Newleaf. She rolled her eyes again. Toms.

Foxfur frowned. "This is apprentice behavior! I would expect more from warriors."

Newleaf grinned, dipping her head to her former mentor to hide the fact that she couldn't stop smiling. "Sorry, Foxfur."

"I would hope so!" she replied, but laughter cracked her voice. When she spoke again, it was less friendly. "Now you go get sleep. You're to join the sunhigh patrol, near the ThunderClan border. They might be planning a revenge attack."

"Yes, yes, Brokenstar established that yesterday," said Newleaf impatiently, swishing her tail in annoyance.

Foxfur dipped her head in acknowledgement. "He did, but you must realize this is a threat."

"We will," insisted Newleaf, then corrected herself, "We do."

Her former mentor nodded. "Now you go sleep."

* * *

Newleaf crept carefully into the warriors' den, the brambles prickling her soft kitten fur. She sniffed at a nest, and settled down into it, closing her eyes, trying to relax. Fur brushed against her, and she opened her eyes, tensing.

Darkwing's blue eyes glowed in the darkness of the den, and his black fur was like a shadow. He was barely visible. He mewed softly, "Go back to sleep, Newleaf. It's okay."

She curled up again and tried to keep her restless eyes closed as Littlecloud and Marshypool settled down next to her.

The quiet mutterings and snores of her friends did nothing to relax her and help her sleep, like they would usually. She kept tossing and turning restlessly, wondering if she really did do the right thing, and knew she hadn't.

Guilt fluffed up her fur, and she opened her eyes and sighed. Why couldn't she do the right thing? She _wanted_ to; it was the thing she most wanted in the world. Then why couldn't she?

Outside the den, the sun shone brightly. It must be midmorning by now, and Newleaf still _could not sleep._

She sat up and washed, licking her white paws and rubbing her forepaw on her ear to clean it, and smoothed down her whiskers. Once she was satisfied she was clean enough to be presentable, she padded out of the den and stretched, her black legs trembling.

She padded to the fresh-kill pile, and stared down at it, curling her lip in distaste. A new warrior, getting crowfood? She should be eating freshly killed meat as a celebration. She decided she wasn't hungry enough, and that she'd find something while they were out on patrol.

Newleaf stretched and sat down, observing the camp. Nothing unusual. She swept her tail around, frowning. She looked up at the sky; not much time had passed. It was still a few hours until sunhigh.

A tabby pelt crept out of the den, and she relaxed. "Hello, Littlecloud!" her tongue felt strange saying his new name.

Her brother pricked his ears. He padded to her. "Newleaf!"

She wondered if he felt strange saying her name. Probably not, she thought.

"Are you going to eat?" asked Littlecloud.

Newleaf shrugged. "Not yet."

"I wonder if we're going to go on the patrol or hunt in the river." said Littlecloud.

"Well, Foxfur said we were going to patrol."

"But not all three of us can go on patrol. Some of us have to hunt. Maybe Marshypaw- er- Marshy_pool,_" Littlecloud corrected himself, "Will hunt. After all, she's had more experience than us."

"Perhaps," agreed Newleaf absentmindedly. "But we have to learn how to hunt if we are to use the river." _Even though it's wrong._

"That's true," nodded Littlecloud, "But I wonder who'll go along with her, then. She should teach us."

Newleaf nodded. "Marshypool should; I'm absolutely sure she's had just as much fighting experience as us, but we need to learn to hunt without a group; we need to learn to hunt by ourselves."

"Yeah, we barely know how to hunt with each other."

A small cough made her jump in alarm, pelt bristling. Her gaze whipped around, and she flattened her fur as she recognized Darkwing.

"Darkwing!" she snapped, "You almost made my fur fall off!"

Darkwing grinned, eyes gleaming in amusement. "You need to learn to relax, Newleaf. You've been wound tighter every day."

Her fur fluffed up, and she narrowed her eyes. "Well, given our circumstances while we were apprentices, I'd say I have good reason to be jumpy, now, don't I?"

Darkwing smirked, but didn't answer.

How typical of him, thought Newleaf in annoyance.

"Newleaf and Darkwing, you go with Foxfur and Flintfang on the sunhigh border patrol." Blackfoot's order surprised her, and she turned.

She almost disagreed with her deputy; she didn't want to be with Darkwing! Why, he got under her fur so much lately, she was surprised none of it had fallen off. She snorted at Darkwing, and he smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" mewed Marshypool as she padded up. "I'm to teach Littlecloud how to fish."

"Cool," meowed Newleaf.

"Oh, don't worry, you two!" she continued, "I'll teach you and Darkwing how to fish, too."

"Sure," she nodded.

* * *

The ThunderClan border was not threatened, as far as Newleaf could tell. The border had not been crossed by ThunderClan.

She frowned as she thought how many times ShadowClan had crossed. Would Brokenstar try to drive ThunderClan out again? Was he really that ambitious? Was he really that greedy for territory? Of course, ShadowClan did have many cats, but there weren't many kits in the Clan anymore.

She looked up at the tall deciduous trees, and was puzzled as she saw the leaves beginning to yellow and redden. The air was also cooler; not cold, but cool. Fresh. Was leaf-fall coming? Perhaps.

Newleaf peered through the trees and the brambles and squinted her eyes to see farther. She didn't see a flash of fur; no ThunderClan cats were patrolling here yet. Or perhaps they had already patrolled the border.

She opened her mouth slightly to taste the air. Nothing. The other cats on her patrol marked the border, and she followed them as they trudged back home.

**Okay, so PLEASE review! I MIGHT be able to update again tomorrow… But you never know.**

**Poppytail: Thank you! **

**Snowlight: Props for forcing your sister to read the story! Did you know she'd like it?**

**Dreamheart: Thank you! I like the names, too.**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: You don't really know… Maybe it could have a double meaning? **

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: You thought so?**

**Tangleflame: Thanks. Yep, she really does. Littlecloud and Marshypool… Dunno….**

**Queen Of The Pens: Don't worry, I have big plans for Newleaf, but she won't die just yet…**

**Maplefrost: Yep! Thanks for that suggestion!**

**Gabalot: Yeah, it was boring. So was this one. Don't worry; another battle will come soon!**

**Avatar-State craziness: Thank you!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	22. River

**Hola! Thanks to all of my reviewers: Wetstar, Gabalot, Maplefrost, BrambleclawXSqurrelflight, Mossears, Deserttail, Queen Of The Pens, Tangleflame, and warriorcrazy! Here's more of Newleaf!**

Chapter Twenty-One

_Newleaf had caught a frog _while out on patrol, and she'd shared it with Darkwing. Now the patrol stepped into camp, and she and Darkwing waited patiently-Newleaf with fake patience- as Foxfur and Flintfang made their report.

She at least was satisfied she'd caught something and eaten fresh-kill, and now her belly felt warm and full, and Newleaf was sleepy. She wanted to lay down in the sun and nap. Mostly because she didn't get any sleep before her patrol, and she'd been surprised that she wasn't stumbling, trying to find her paws.

Blackfoot twitched his ears at the two new warriors. "Newleaf, Darkwing, you're dismissed."

They both dipped their heads respectfully and hurried away to the warriors' den. Newleaf curled up and sighed, trying to relax.

"Can't sleep again?" asked Darkwing.

She pricked her ears. "What do you mean?"

"I felt you tossing and turning this morning. You didn't go to sleep at all. Kept me from sleeping too," said Darkwing, licking his forepaw and watching her closely, his blue eyes curious.

Her fur fluffed up. "So?"

Darkwing lowered his paw. "Were you worried about something?"

"Uh, maybe," she murmured, lowering her gaze from him.

"What about?"

"Nothing!" she snapped,"Nothing! It's none of your business!"

He blinked. "You sure?"

"Yes!" Newleaf hissed. "Now leave me in peace."

"Okay..." Darkwing sounded unsure of whether Newleaf was telling the truth or not. "Sleep well, then Newleaf. You need it."

Huh, thought Newleaf. Mouse-brain. She closed her eyes, lowered her head and soon fell in deep sleep, not dreaming, just entering a comforting blackness.

* * *

"So how'd you think of that?" a loud voice woke Newleaf up, but she was to tired to lift her head up or open her eyes. She just pricked her ears, realizing this was Marshypool.

"I don't know. It was pretty weird, fishing in RiverClan territory." She recognized Littlecloud's voice. They were both talking loudly, and she heard Darkwing hiss quietly in annoyance, but he didn't say anything to interrupt their conversation.

"Well, I suppose you get used to it," mewed Marshypool, "But sometimes I wish Brokenstar would stop assigning me to hunt in RiverClan territory and assign me to patrol the borders or hunt in WindClan territory."

"I'm sure you'll do it soon," said Littlecloud,"But right now you need to teach the cats in this Clan to fish."

"I guess so, but-" Marshypool was cut off as Newleaf whipped her head around, getting truly annoyed now, and hissed, "Could you _shut up? _Some cats are trying to sleep, you know!"

Marshypool's gray eyes widened. "Sorry, Newleaf, I didn't mean to wake you."

_Sorry!_ She thought, _Sorry! Well, I've hadn't had a decent sleep in some time, and you say "sorry" when I finally get a chance? _She almost spat the words out, but controlled herself. It wasn't Marshypool's fault she suffered from insomnia.

"Well, next time, be a bit quieter," chimed in Darkwing, and Newleaf curled up again.

"Sorry," said Marshypool again, and she and Littlecloud continued their conversation more quietly.

* * *

The next day, as Newleaf crept out of the den, stretching luxuriously, Marshypool gretted her enthusiastically, her dark brown tabby pelt shimmering in the sun. "Good morning, Newleaf! You and Darkwing are coming with me to RiverClan's hunting grounds. I'm to teach you how to fish."

Newleaf yawned. "Do you do anything besides fish or teach cats how to fish?"

Marshypool flinched, and Newleaf felt guilty. Here was her friend, offering to help her learn to hunt in a different way, and she'd insulted her.

"Sorry," muttered Newleaf, "Sure, I'll come along."

Marshypool grinned. "We'd better get Darkwing, too."

Newleaf smiled back. "He won't like it."

"Exactly. Time to get back at him for all the times he annoyed you!" joked Marshypool.

"Yeah."

* * *

The closer to the river they got, the tenser Newleaf became. _Is this right? _Was all she could think, and she was sure that if she worried any more about what was right and wrong, her fur would fall out like autumn leaves breaking away from their branches, tumbling and twirling away in the wind.

Yet she couldn't stop. It was what she most wanted, what she most aspired for. To do things right.

_Newleaf, you, not me_, you, _must answer that question yourself. Otherwise I'll just answer your question with a question, and we'll get nowhere. _Squirrelpaw's voice chimed in her head, and her sister's scent wreathed around her.

_Oh, is that a threat? I'm _so_ scared. _She thought at her sister sarcastically.

_Newleaf! _Squirrelpaw warned,_ Be careful what you say._

_Okay, Squirrelpaw. Okay. But what _is_ the right thing?_

_What do you think?_

Newleaf frowned. Certainly not this. She gazed around as they passed the four large oaks of Fourtrees, and kept padding toward the bridge RiverClan used to get to the Gathering.

Temporarily distracted, she thought how similar ShadowClan's and RiverClan routes were. ShadowClan had a tunnel across the Thunderpath. RiverClan had a bridge across the restless river.

She really didn't know. It was a frail instinct of right and wrong, because her sight had been obsured by Brokenstar and his ways. All she really knew was that WindClan shouldn't have been driven out, and ThunderClan should not have been attacked. RiverClan? She wasn't sure. At the Gathering, the other Clans- ThunderClan especially- had been surprised, and Bluestar had firmly stated when she, Littlecloud and Darkwing had spied on her, that sharing hunting grounds was not the way of things.

She felt Squirrelpaw's spirit around her, waiting patiently for her answer. A flash of grief went through Newleaf; that was always the way Squirrelpaw had been. Energetic and warm and comforting, patient and understanding. She should have survived the Battle with WindClan. She deserved to live, not to die.

_It's not right, _she finally thought to Squirrelpaw,_ but I don't know what to do._

_Don't worry yet, Newleaf. Let Marshypool teach you to fish. Do that first. But always remember right from wrong._

_

* * *

_

The loud rush of water jolted Newleaf from her thoughts, and she felt Squirrelpaw's presence fade. She looked at the rushing water of the river and stared at the clear water.

It looked so deep; how would she learn to swim or fish? Yet awe ran in her veins. To be able to move through the water as if you were walking through the forest, to learn to catch those slippery fish, RiverClan was indeed a Clan unlike the others.

But so was ShadowClan.

And ThunderClan.

And WindClan.

"Time to learn to fish," announced Marshypool.

**Well, what did you think of that? Please review!**

**Wetstar: Thank you!**

**Gabalot: I know, I know, but I only have ONE HOUR on the computer now... So this is taking some time...**

**Maplefrost: Here's some more!**

**Mossears: How was your computer being a Hobo? That's funny! And I MIGHT use them... It depends...**

**Deserttail: Yes, I'm a new member, so this story might not exactly have a high status. And I'm surprised by that; others have told me that they have grown attached to Newleaf too. I honestly didn't expect that. Ah, yes, I love Darkwing's name too. Fits him, yes? It's also a name of a book I really like. It's a bit like Warriors, but it's about bats instead of cats. Well, this one's about prehistoric bats, because it's a prequel, but the normal series, Silverwing, is about modern bats that want to return to the sun.**

**Queen Of The Pens: You think so? Hmm... I'll work on that...**

**Tangleflame: I should hope not! Thank you!**

**warriorcrazy: Yes, her name was always gonna be Newleaf. I planned that the second I started writing this story. ;)**

**~Coqui's Song**


	23. Fish

**Hi guys!I got so many reviews last chapter, it's not even funny anymore. THANK YOU: Gabalot, emtollyxtanctanctorsson, LOVE It (Bluecloud), Dreamheart, Queen Of The Pens, nobody5, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, Tangleflame, Mossears, Maplefrost, and BrambleclawxSqurrelflight. **

Chapter Twenty-Two

_Marshypool looked pleased with _herself. "Here's a great spot to try fishing."

Newleaf gazed down at the clear blue water. It was slow today, so the water made a reflection of her, brightening up her face because of the sun's rays. "So are we going to stay on the shore, or will we have to swim?"

"Oh, no. No swimming, but we'll have to get our paws wet, if you don't mind," replied Marshypool, already wading in the river. She stopped when the river water lapped at her white belly fur. "Come on in, the water's fine!"

Darkwing and Newleaf hesitated at the water's edge, unsure.

"Come on!" urged Marshypool.

Newleaf extended her forepaw, and patted the water. It rippled, distorting her reflection. It was warm enough, so she waded in, Darkwing brushing her fur.

"Now," said Marshypool, "The trick to fishing is to be extremely patient."

Darkwing shot Newleaf a glance, and mewed, "Which we all know you _aren't_."

Newleaf scowled at him, but she couldn't stop her eyes from showing her amusement. "Shut up."

"You know it's true," he teased.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Guys!" warned Marshypool. "You have to concentrate really well. You can't get distracted."

Marshypool stared down at the water, completely still. "Another thing is," she mewed quietly, "Is that you have to be careful where you're positioned so you don't have the sun cats your shadow into the water. It'll scare the fish away. And you must also be very still."

"Another thing you can't be." whispered Darkwing in her ear, "You're too fidgety."

"Shut up, Darkwing." She grinned at him.

They waited in silence for a while. Suddenly, Marshypool's paw swiped in the water, and she threw a silver fish out of the water. The water drops sprinkled around them, dazzling in the sunlight so they looked like silver beads.

The fish landed on the shore, and it desperately flopped around, trying to get back into the water, but Marshypool was too quick for it. She leapt out of the river, and she pinned the fish down and killed it. She took it up in her mouth, looking more pleased with herself than before.

"Wow!" she meowed, admiring Marshypool's catch.

"You can try it now, too." Marshypool's gray eyes were lit up with the anticipation of the catch.

* * *

A flash of silver caught her eye. Instinctively Newleaf flashed out her paw, and she grabbed the fish, copying Marshypool.

Darkwing cheered behind her, "Go, Newleaf!"

Her claws were snagged on the fish's scales, and she threw the fish up in the air to get it on the shore so she could kill it easier. But instead of getting thrown ashore, the fish flopped in the direction of the river, and landed in deeper water.

"I'll get it!" promised Newleaf, jumping in the deep water, chasing the fish.

"Wait, no, Newleaf, get back here!" yowled Marshypool.

"No, I can get it!" but the current here was stronger than over near the shore, where the water only tugged at her fur. Here, it threatened to sweep her away altogether.

A wave slapped her mouth shut, and Newleaf's head went under. The last she heard was Darkwing and Marshypool's voices yelling after her, "NEWLEAF!"

Her lungs felt like bursting. They throbbed in her chest, and she desperately wanted to get up, up, up. Help! She thought. Help!

She kicked upward, a frail instinct telling her which way was up, which down. She surfaced, gasping for breath, and saw a glimpse of Darkwing splashing after her, yowling her name. She'd never seen him so distraught.

Marshypool was frozen on the bank, eyes wide and scared for her friend.

"Newleaf! Newleaf!" she could barely hear Darkwing's voice over the rush of water in her ears.

"Help!" she howled, and the water pushed her down again.

Her lungs felt like exploding. Slowly, so as not to lose too much air, she exhaled, and the air bubbles rose around her. Stupid bubbles. She envied the air bubbles.

Flashes of silver were all around her watery eyes, and she could just barely make out the shapes of fish. Their gills opened and closed, taking the air out of the water. Stupid fish. She envied the fish.

She surfaced again suddenly, and heard Darkwing cry out, "Newleaf! The Stepping-Stones! Hang on to the Stepping-Stones!"

She turned her watery eyes and saw them, gray rock sticking out of the river in a trail, each one no more than a tail-length away from the other. As she was swept towards them, she got ready and held on to one of them for dear life, shutting her eyes tight, breathing the air greedily.

She heard ferocious splashing, and she turned to it, opening her eyes a slit, blinking the water out of them. Darkwing was wading toward her, eyes wide and determined. "Don't worry, I'll get you." He promised.

Newleaf could barely hold onto the stone. Her claws were feeble now because she had spent nearly all her energy on trying to get back to the surface. "I-I can't hold it!"

"Try!" yelled Darkwing. "I'm almost there!"

She saw him racing across the stones, trying to get to her before she let go or a wave dragged her under again.

But that was just what happened. The water dragged her down, and she let go of her grip on the rough stone. Her only rescue, her only hope, was gone.

"Newleaf!" the voice was muffled, but she knew it was Darkwing. A splash told her he had pursued her, but she hardly had any hope that he would save her.

The blackness was comforting, and she exhaled, wanting to sink in it deeper. Fur brushed her pelt, and she wondered faintly, What's that? But she didn't really care anymore; she inferred it was Squirrelpaw, come to take her to StarClan's hunting grounds.

Suddenly cold air blasted through her wet fur, and she opened her eyes in shock. Water trickled down her forehead, and Newleaf shivered. What….?

She was dropped on the shore, and she blinked. A blue-gray RiverClan she-cat was standing in front of her, watching her closely. "What were you doing? A ShadowClan cat! Huh!"

"Oh, you mean, other than drowning? I was fishing." Newleaf coughed up water, and she shivered.

"Right," said the she-cat, "Well, I don't approve of Crookedstar's accord with your Clan, but he's said it, so I have to let you."

Newleaf coughed. "Thanks for saving me, anyway. Why did you save me, though, if you don't approve?"

The she-cat huffed. "I don't want the fish to get sick. Looks like you got unlucky. You got swept out by the high tide."

High tide? thought Newleaf, but she didn't say anything.

"Newleaf!"

She whipped her head, and saw Darkwing dashing to her as fast as his legs could go. "I'm sorry!" he turned to her rescuer. "Thanks for saving her."

The she-cat shrugged.

"Newleaf!" she heard another voice, female this time, and blinked as Marshypool skidded to a halt beside her. "I'm so, so sorry! I just stood there like an idiotic mouse-brain while you needed my help while you were drowning! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Marshypool, it's okay."

"No, no! I was so stupid! It's my fault, really."

"Marshypool."

"Ugh! I'm so angry at myself! I almost let you drown! I-"

"MARSHYPOOL!" yowled Newleaf, and her friend shut up. "It's okay. I'm fine now."

Marshypool's whiskers twitched, and she turned to the RiverClan cat. "Thank you. What's your name?"

The RiverClan she-cat shook off the water on her pelt, and it splattered of her as easily as a holly leaf shedding the rain. "Mistyfoot."

**Please REVIEW! I wrote this chappie on paper, then I wrote it on Word, and then I posted it. So you can guess I took my time with this one, meaning I want review for all that work I did?**

**emtollyxtanctanctorsson: Yes, she is. Isn't it sweet?**

**Dreamheart: No worries! It's fine.**

**Bluecloud: Hope you love it s'more!**

**Queen Of The Pens: Yes, but Newleaf was always snappy and witty, wasn't she?**

**nobody5: It's fine; I don't really notice it because I'm insane too! Heheheh... And thank you!**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: Puerto Rican food is WAAAAAY better than Mexican! The list is: Puerto Rican, Italian, Mexican...**

**Tangleflame: Not yet...**

**Mossears: HOBOS!**

**Maplefrost: Yeah, I read it. It's CREEPY... And thank you! I always worry about if she's a Mary-Sue.**

**BrambleclawxSqurrelflight: She's not mean; she was always irritable and snappy and witty.**

**~Coqui's Song**


	24. Medicine Den

**Hi again! I meant to update yesterday, because it was Thanksgiving, but I was too busy, and I guess Black Friday is just as good... Anyway, I'm kind of upset because I didn't get nearly as many reviews as last chapter. I only got five! I guess my standards go higher and I'm no longer excited by just five reviews anymore. Wow, have I changed. But thanks to: warriorcrazy, nobody5, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, BrambleclawxSqurrelflight, and Maplefrost!**

Chapter Twenty-Three

_Newleaf coughed once more,_ still blinking water from her eyes. Darkwing shook his black fur, which was weighed down by the river water. He was just as soaked as Newleaf, because he himself had struggled to reach her, fighting the current, swimming as best he could.

Newleaf had learned this as he told her what he'd tried to do while she was underwater.

"So," Newleaf paused to cough once again, "What you're telling me is that you pretty much risked your life to save me."

"That's it," agreed Darkwing.

She pondered this for a moment. "But _you _didn't save me, Mistyfoot did." She twitched her ears toward Mistyfoot, signaling to her.

He sneezed, and nodded, "Yeah, I know. But I tried."

Marshypool flashed him a glare. "You're trying to make me feel guilty again, aren't you?" she accused.

Darkwing shook his head, "No Marshypool, it's not your fault. You froze. You didn't know what to do."

"It wasn't that I didn't know what to do, it was that I was frightened for her!" she retorted.

"If you were frightened for her why didn't you do something about it?" he challenged.

Marshypool opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She closed them again.

Mistyfoot licked her forepaw, watching the three ShadowClan cats suspiciously. "You three are warriors?"

"Yes," replied Newleaf, shivering. "We are."

Whatever Mistyfoot was going to say, she apparently decided against it and instead meowed, "You look thin. I can see all your ribs. I see why Brokenstar asked Crookedstar hunting rights to the river."

Newleaf coughed again, and didn't say anything.

The RiverClan she-cat continued, heading to the river, "I don't like you hunting in our territory, but… and this goes against what I think, but I have to… I'll help you." She went to the bank and expertly caught a large fish, and brought it back to the ShadowClan cats. "Here. Take it. You need it."

"Thanks," said Newleaf weakly, "We really appreciate it."

Marshypool and Darkwing nodded in agreement to her words.

Mistyfoot sighed, "I can't help it when a fellow Clan needs help."

"May I say, Mistyfoot," thought Newleaf aloud, "You look like ThunderClan's leader, Bluestar."

Although wet, Mistyfoot's fur spiked up, and she mewed, "I get that a lot."

"You should. You really do look like her."

"Yeah, well, she's ThunderClan; I'm RiverClan, and my mother's Graypool."

"Of course," she mewed, and sneezed before she could continue.

Mistyfoot cast a swift glance around. "What am I doing? You would have drowned had I not rescued you. You've had a soaking. You could get sick, or maybe you might have leeches, and my point is that you need to see our medicine cat."

"No, no!" she said weakly, "I'll be fine. I can go to my own medicine cat."

Mistyfoot's piercing blue eyes bored onto her. "Very well. Good luck. Would you need help?"

Darkwing replied, "No, thank you. And thanks again for saving Newleaf. I'd have missed teasing her had she gone with StarClan."

The RiverClan she-cat tipped her head to the side, whiskers twitching in amusement. "Newleaf. That's an interesting name you have."

"Thank you."

Marshypool interrupted, "Really, Mistyfoot. Thanks so much. She's my best friend."

She smiled at Marshypool. "Ah, yes. Best friends do anything for each other."

"Yeah," agreed Darkwing. "She's _my _best friend too."

Marshypool was about to argue with him and so Newleaf quickly meowed, rolling her eyes, "I'm _everybody's_ best friend. Now can we go home?"

"Sure," said Darkwing.

* * *

Walking home was one of Newleaf's mistakes. She should have gone to see the RiverClan medicine cat. But she _had _to be stubborn. Now she was miserable and weak, just wanting to get home and sleep.

_Well_, she thought,_ At least I'm alive._

_Indeed you are, Newleaf. Be thankful for that, _purred Squirrelpaw's voice. _I'm glad you didn't die. It would have broken my heart to fetch you. But it's not your time yet._

_Thanks a lot, _Newleaf thought wryly.

She coughed again. Marshypool glance back at her. "Are you sure you're okay, Newleaf?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She replied, the turned her head away to sneeze.

"I'm gonna get you back as soon as possible. You need to get to Runningnose."

How ironic, thought Newleaf scornfully, the medicine cat who can't cure himself curing me. "Sure," she replied. Her voice was thin and weak, however strong her thoughts were.

* * *

She entered the medicine den with a tired and resigned sigh. She flopped down on a moss bed, and closed her eyes, feeling numb. Her pelt was dry, but her fur was messy and matted.

"I'll get you some food," mewed Darkwing from somewhere behind her.

"Thanks," she answered shakily.

Runningnose checked her for leeches and did the regular soaking treatment. "I think you should stay here a few days," he advised, "You might be getting a chill."

"What about Darkwing? He came to get me, and you haven't looked at him! He was sneezing, too!" demanded Newleaf.

"I'll check on him later," promised Runningnose, "But for now, you rest, okay, Newleaf?"

She opened her mouth to argue, but just growled and curled up, closing her eyes. _How embarrassing! My second day as a warrior, and I get sent to the medicine den where I have to stay for a "few more days"!_

Her thoughts were soon slowed by the exhaustion she felt, and soon she was sound asleep in Runningnose's den, her nose filled with the scent of herbs and the muffled noises of the camp.

* * *

When she awoke, she blinked, thinking, _where am I?_ Then she remembered she was in the medicine den. Something soft, warm and furry was pressed against her.

Newleaf twisted her head to see it. Darkwing's black pelt was pressed to her, and he was sleeping. She grinned.

She tilted away from him, not wanting to wake him but wanting to get herself some fresh-kill.

But at the slightest movement, Darkwing's dark blue eyes flew open, and he tensed. She'd forgotten what a light sleeper he was. "Where are you going?" he asked quietly.

"To get some fresh-kill." She replied.

Darkwing twitched his ears. "Over there."

Newleaf looked. A fish lay near her nest. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said.

She began to eat it, scrunching her nose at the strong smell. She tore into it, and coughed. It tasted a bit like frog! _Tastes pretty good…_

"Want to share?" asked Darkwing, stretching.

"Sure," she replied.

As he sat down next to her, he mewed, "I got that for you last night, but you were wiped out. Runningnose told me as soon as he checked over you, you fell asleep. He told me not to wake you, and that he should check me too. But I'm not as bad as you. I just stayed here because you looked cold."

"Thanks," Newleaf muttered.

"No problem," he said, and bent down to take a bite. His mouth full he meowed, "This is pretty good."

"Better than crow-food, anyway," she teased.

"I guess so."

They ate in silence for a while. Occasionally Newleaf would sneeze or cough, but she'd be fine soon. She knew it. She had to be.

"So you have to stay here a couple more days." Thought Darkwing aloud.

"Yeah."

"I'll stay too, if you want. I can… fake a sickness."

She chuckled. "Thanks, Darkwing, but, um, I'll be fine. Littlecloud and Marshypool and you can visit me a couple times a day."

Darkwing's dark blue eyes were unusually bright in the gloom of the medicine den. "You sure?"

Newleaf caught herself staring at him again. It seemed she did that often these days. Why, she didn't know. She broke their gaze, and answered, "Yeah, I am. Thanks anyway."

"Okay," he mewed, and took another bite, but Newleaf wasn't hungry anymore. The fish had filled her up, and she somehow felt warm.

But she had something else to say. "Darkwing, I want to thank you."

"Why?" he asked, licking his lips as if he'd enjoyed the last bit of fish.

"Because you tried to save me from drowning?"

"Oh, yeah, that." He said it as if he'd forgotten he'd almost drowned himself to save her. He grinned. "You're welcome."

**Well, please review guys! Because yesterday I got an email saying a person favorited my story and put it on his/her story alert and he/she didn't review. If you don't review, it's simple: I don't post. So PLEASE REVIEW! I mean it.**

**warriorcrazy: I love Mistyfoot. She's my friend too. I like Sunkist. It's yummy. It's no problem. I hope you update your story soon! It's pretty good!**

**nobody5: Thank you!**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: I guess I should be glad you put it in your top ten. But have even tried Puerto Rican food? And don't worry; I won't threaten it again. Why? I like Taco Bell too! But Chipotle is better. ;)**

**BrambleclawXSqurrelflight: Yeah? What'd you think of it?**

**Maplefrost: No worries! And that's why I included Misyfoot. I LOVE HER BECAUSE SHE'S RELATED TO BLUESTAR!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	25. Talk

**So, so so so so so so SORRY that I haven't updated. I'm VERY VERY busy... Thank you to reviewers: Gabalot, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, Nightfeather12, Sky Firehear, Dreamheart, Snowlight, emtollyxtanctorsson, I'M A FREAKING TACO, and nobody5. Hope you like this chappie, but it's kinda boring. I PROMISE it'll be less dull soon.**

Chapter Twenty-Four

_Newleaf felt the irritable tickling_ in her throat, and she swallowed down the cough. It was her second day in the medicine den, and she was extremely, utterly bored. She was staring at Runningnose sorting herbs, and though she helped him a bit, it was intensely dull. She wanted to get out of here, to race in the forest, to hunt.

Instead, she was recovering from her near-drowning experience, and though Marshypool had visited earlier before she went hunting on WindClan territory- the first time in a half-moon she had left the river to hunt in a different landscape- now Newleaf had absolutely_ nothing_ to do. She was just about ready to run out of the den, muttering to herself as if she were mad.

The only thing even remotely entertaining to her was watching her own jet-black tail tapping impatiently on the ground next to her. Her paws twitched, her fur itched, her whiskers trembled, her tail swished around… it was easy to see all the energy she was concealing behind her fur. She needed _out_.

Littlecloud suddenly burst through the entrance of Runningnose's den, and finally Newleaf had an excuse to jump up. She greeted her brother enthusiastically, touching noses and purring, practically jumping up and down in the joy of having a visitor.

"You have _no idea_ how boring it is in here," she whispered to him, and Littlecloud looked at her with amusement in his amber eyes. "All I've done today was sit here, take medicine, eat, take medicine, sleep, eat, sit here."

Her brother's whiskers twitched. "Well, that sounds like a boring day."

She gave him a fake puzzled look. "Didn't I just say that? Anyway, how are you?"

"Newleaf, the reason I'm here is to worry about how you are and if you're getting better. That's what I'm here in this medicine den for, and what I'm your _brother_ for. Why would I be here to talk about myself?"

"Because your poor little sister Newleaf is having an awful boring day?" she blinked up at Littlecloud, trying to make him feel pity for her. It didn't work, and that was perfectly fine.

"I just made your day a little less boring."

"How?"

"Wait here." With that, Littlecloud exited the den and hurried away, leaving his sister with her mouth half-open, about to ask him what exactly was going to make her day.

Newleaf closed her gaping mouth, and she shook her head, scolding herself. _You're too bossy,_ she told herself, then forced herself to wait patiently. Littlecloud promised to make her day less dull. Let's see what he came up with.

Littlecloud padded in with a frog in his jaws, and Newleaf leaped up, eyes glittering. "My favorite!"

Littlecloud spat out his prey, and mewed, "Yeah… I went hunting in _our_ territory for you."

She snorted in annoyance. "We don't do that enough."

He shook his head, agreeing with Newleaf's statement, and pushed the dead frog to her. "Eat?"

Newleaf scowled down at the frog, huffing in annoyance. "Pretty much all I've done today is eat and sleep today, but sure, why not?" She took a bite, letting the flavor sing on her tastebuds.

While she enjoyed Littlecloud's catch, he told her that Brokenstar planned to apprentice three new kits today, and she glanced up at her brother quizzically. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes, Whitekit, Sparrowkit, and Shiverkit."

She frowned. "How… interesting."

"Come on, Newleaf, do you really think…" Littlecloud didn't finish and stared at his sister, who was glaring at him like the answer should be obvious. "Yes, you think it."

"Of course! I mean, Flintfang was only sixteen moons old when he was chosen to apprentice Badgerpaw!"

"But that doesn't mean we will apprentice some. Stop panicking, okay?"

"Darkwing would say it's impossible for me to stop panicking." She stated matter-of-factly.

Littlecloud's whiskers twitched mischievously. "Oh, yes, Newleaf. About that, I noticed that you-"

"Shut it!" snapped Newleaf, her fur suddenly hot, and Littlecloud quieted down, not without grinning at her.

"My point is that we haven't been warriors for even a moon-not even _half _a moon! Seriously, Newleaf, you have to take those things into consideration."

She let out a deep breath, feeling herself relax slightly and feeling her fur cool down. Not a lot, but slightly. "Yeah, I know. I'm your mouse-brained sister, and-"

"Don't you _dare _say that! _I'm_ the mouse-brained one, Newleaf. _You're_ the smart one. You always have been. You're just mouse-brained sometimes, and sometimes I have my bright moments. All cats do."

"You're really starting to sound like Squirrelpaw now." muttered Newleaf.

Her brother glanced at her, looking truly perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Embarrassment tingled in her fur. _Newleaf! You mouse-brain! Now he's going to think you're mad. As if he'll believe you if you tell him you speak with Squirrelpaw! You'll make yourself known as "ShadowClan's mad cat". _

She shook away her thoughts. "Nothing. Forget it." She said with a cool fluidity, flattening her fur.

He stared at her for a moment longer, then he shrugged. "Okay, if you say so."

"I do say so." She teased.

"Fine."

"Good."

A silence followed, broken by Newleaf. "So, they're going to be made apprentices today, huh?"

"Today or tomorrow, yes."

She closed her eyes for a while, thinking.

"Newleaf? Are you asleep?" asked Littlecloud, whispering.

Her eyes flew open. "No!"

"Oh, because you looked like it. Sorry."

Newleaf shook her head, "No, it's okay. I was just thinking. Anyway, I need to get out of this place. Would you come with while I stretch my legs?"

"Where?" asked her brother. "I don't want to get in trouble with Runningnose."

"What would he do? Feed you poppy seeds? I'm sure if we stay inside the camp we'll be fine." She assured him.

"So sarcastic! Okay, Newleaf. Lead the way."

* * *

The wave of fresh air buffeted her fur when she first came out of the den, and Newleaf was so content, she could almost feel herself drift away on the breeze. She sniffed the air, and she stretched luxuriously, her legs trembling. "That's it."

She closed her eyes, smiling, padding slowly around the perimeter of the camp. "I'd better be perfectly fine by tomorrow, or I swear to StarClan I'll go completely mad."

"I bet you would." A new voice joined in, and Newleaf opened her eyes to see Darkwing.

"Weren't you supposed to be on border patrol?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I'm done."

"Okay…"

"Okay what?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"How're you doing?" he asked, concern in his eyes, but as usual, no deep emotion in his voice. Except when she was about to drown or when Tigerclaw attacked her…

"She's fine," Littlecloud answered for her. "But I think she's tired, right?"

"Not at all- hey!" she said as Littlecloud shoed her back into the medicine den. "Stay in here and don't come out."

"What? I will not! I've been dying to stretch my legs!"

"Tomorrow," he promised, "But I really have to talk with Darkwing- _alone_- right now."

She growled at him, but curiosity made her stop. "About what?"

"None of your business! I'll tell you later. No time."

And Littlecloud left Newleaf-again- with a puzzled mind.

**Again, really sorry. Review? Please? That might get my fingers warm again.**

**Maplefrost: Yes, it is, isn't it?**

**Queen Of The Pens: That's really nice of you! Thanks for faving it, too! :)**

**Dreamheart: Aww... thank you! Really sweet of you to say!**

**Snowlight: Not yet, but there WILL be new apprentices, as you can read above, right?**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: **

_**Newleaf: **_**Very, very small white slender she-cat with jet-black legs, ears, bushy black tail, muzzle, and black around her bright, vivid blue eyes. Her PAWS are white, like socks. **

_**Darkwing:**_** Small completely black tom with dark blue eyes.**

_**Marshypool: **_**Small pretty dark brown tabby she-cat with soft gray eyes, a white belly and chest, as well as a white tipped-tail. ) That enough discription?**

**nobody5: Maybe...**

**Everyone else: THANK YOU!**

**_~Coqui's Song_**


	26. Secrets

**Okay, so you guys are in a special treat. I have a longer chapter than usual for you guys. The reasons? It's almost Christmas. Tis the Season of Giving. Another? I still feel bad for that REALLY long time I didn't update. Thank you to reviewers: warriorcrazy, Gabalot, Queen Of The Pens, Greenfire21, I'M A FREAKIN TACO, nobody5, and Maplefrost!**

Chapter Twenty-Five

_Newleaf was extremely annoyed._ She woke up the next morning, and instantly remembered what Littlecloud had said to her last night. She had a right to know whatever Littlecloud was going to tell Darkwing. Didn't she? What was it? Whatever it was, she'd find out, whether her brother told her or not. She was determined.

That was the first thing she thought. She hadn't even stopped to realize that she felt perfectly fine. She was cured from her experience. She wasn't coughing or sneezing, and her eyes were clear. She felt like she could run all the way to the Moonstone and back, and still not be tired.

Runningnose was already awake, as he woke at dawn. She looked outside. It was almost sunhigh. Embarrassment sparked through her fur as Newleaf glanced at the medicine cat. She's slept through the entire morning.

"How do you feel, Newleaf?" asked the ShadowClan medicine cat.

She blinked at him, her mind suddenly realizing she felt fine now. "Oh, I'm… I feel… Really fine. Cured. Like I could run to the Moonstone and back."

He nodded. "That's good, though I'm not surprised, as you slept very much last night."

"Did I?" Newleaf was only half-listening to Runningnose. But it didn't seem that she slept a lot. If anything, what Littlecloud had said would have given her even more insomnia than usual.

"Oh, yes. Well, I suppose you can leave the medicine den now, as you're cured. But, I want you to take one more thing…" Runningnose went to his stash of medicines, and brought back some tansy. "Eat this, and you can go."

Newleaf licked up the tansy leaves, and swallowed them. "Thanks, Runningnose."

She padded out of the den, suddenly filled with sadness. It should be _Yellowfang_ curing her. Yellowfang hadn't killed the kits; Brokenstar had, and he'd blamed the old medicine cat. Chased her out. Turned the entire Clan against her. Well, there was one cat that wasn't against Yellowfang, and her name was Newleaf.

_I'll make everything right, _she vowed silently to Yellowfang. _I'll bring justice to ShadowClan. I'll do what's right. I_ will_, even if I don't know how to do that just yet._

The sunlight made her blink, and she gazed around the camp. She wondered when those kits would be apprenticed, and who would mentor them.

"Newleaf!" she turned at the sound of her name, and saw Marshypool padding toward her. "I was just about to visit you. Darkwing visited you earlier, before he went on the dawn patrol, but you were asleep. He said you were really tired. I thought I'd have better luck."

"Luck," repeated Newleaf.

Marshypool looked at her friend up and down. "Why, Newleaf! And I thought I was lucky! You look great! You're cured, aren't you?"

"Yep. Luck had more to do with me than you." She teased.

"Great! Then you can come hunting with me. Do you want to come?"

As much as Newleaf wanted to hunt with her friend, she remembered the last time she'd hunted with her, and it had not turned out well.

Marshypool seemed to have picked up on why Newleaf was hesitating, and got a guilty expression in her gray eyes. "I'm so sorry about the river, Newleaf. I blame myself. I should have taught you to swim first. I thought that maybe… maybe you wouldn't need to. But I should have. Then maybe you wouldn't have nearly drowned and died. I'm really, really sorry. I promise we won't go anywhere near the river today. We'll stay in ShadowClan territory. We'll catch frogs. I'm just really sorry, Newleaf."

Her friend was distressed. Marshypool's white tail tip twitched, and she looked very guilty and her apology was genuine.

But Newleaf didn't blame her friend for her near-drowning. She blamed herself. After all, she'd gone after that fish, and Marshypool had warned her, and Newleaf had disobeyed. She should have listened to Marshypool. She'd had more experience in hunting in the river, and that had been her first time. No, no, the reason she didn't want to go was that she was afraid something like that might happen again, even if she was anxious to leave the camp. It was such a strange, complex mixture of thoughts and feelings, and Newleaf wished it was easy to say this to Marshypool.

She took a deep breath, and tried. "Marshypool, it's… I mean, I don't blame you. It was my fault. I… I didn't listen to you. And you warned me to come back. I got what I deserved. You had more experience than me." She was just warming up. "It's me that should be apologizing to you. I said it already; I didn't listen, and I did it impulsively. You told me it was dangerous. I was caught up in the moment. The rush of hunting was to powerful. I deserved the consequences of not listening."

Marshypool sighed. "Newleaf, you might not have listened to me. But listen to me now: You did not deserve that consequence. You didn't deserve to almost drown, and what did I do? I just stood there like an idiot while my best friend needed me. Darkwing didn't even know how to swim, unlike me, and he tried to save you. I should have done something. I was teaching you, and so that made you under my responsibility. So I forgive you for not listening to me, but if Mistyfoot hadn't saved you, and you'd drowned, I never would have forgiven _myself._"

"You should. You can't forgive anybody unless you forgive yourself." Newleaf glanced down at her paws.

"Do you forgive yourself?" asked Marshypool.

Newleaf looked up at her friend, who was frowning at her. She sighed. "I don't know. I want to."

"I think we're going through the same thing, eh, Newleaf?"

"I suppose so. You know what, Marshypool?"

"What?"

"I want to hunt with you. Let's go."

* * *

One of highlights of the hunt was when Newleaf tripped on a tree root, leaving her forepaw throbbing and her hissing a breath, saying that those two days in the medicine den had made her out of practice.

Marshypool's gray eyes were glittering with amusement, and she said, "Newleaf, are you okay? Perhaps you might need to go to Runningnose again?"

"Never," replied Newleaf. "And I'm fine. It just hurts a little."

After that, she turned her attention to a sparrow that had foolishly landed on the ground near her. It was pecking the ground, intent on finding food. _Well, little sparrow, you know I'm intent on finding food, too. And you're it._

She launched herself at the sparrow, and killed it with a swift bite to the neck. Her paw hurt, but not that much anymore. _Thank you, StarClan!_

After hunting for a bit, they both decided to go back to camp.

* * *

"Newleaf! Marshypool!" they were immediately greeted by Darkwing. "How are you, Newleaf? Runningnose says you can go back to warrior duties now."

Newleaf spat out her sparrow, and said proudly, "Why, yes, I can."

"Great!" Darkwing looked them up and down. "So you were hunting?"

Newleaf gazed at Marshypool's mouse and her sparrow. "Um, no, we just found these."

"No need to be sarcastic, Newleaf." Darkwing said.

She shrugged. "I like being sarcastic."

Newleaf took her prey to the… she didn't know whether to call it a crow-food pile of a fresh-kill pile. How about food pile? She dropped the sparrow in it, and padded back to Darkwing. Marshypool had left.

"Where'd she go?"

Darkwing shrugged. "I don't know."

"So what were you talking to Littlecloud about last night?" she demanded. She was actually glad Marshypool had left; now she could ask Darkwing without her friend wondering what she was saying.

Darkwing tensed. "You'll see. We'll tell you later."

"When? What is it? Why are you hiding this from me?" she demanded to know.

"Newleaf, I'll tell you when Littlecloud gets back from patrol. It's no big deal. You can wait that long, can't you?"

She glanced at Darkwing in amusement. "As I recall, you said I was impatient. Doesn't impatience mean you _can't _wait very long?"

"Yes, it does, but I'm sure you won't explode if you wait until sunset."

She checked the sky. The sun was far to the west, but it was not touching the horizon just yet. It was almost sundown. She supposed she could wait a little longer. She sighed. "Okay, Darkwing, but Littlecloud had better not be late."

* * *

Littlecloud arrived just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Newleaf didn't waste time with small talk. "What did you tell Darkwing last night that you wouldn't tell me?"

Littlecloud's eyes glanced around the camp rapidly, as if afraid that someone would overhear. No one was near them. "Come with me," he said, racing back out of the camp, until he stopped at a private spot where no one would look for them.

Newleaf and Darkwing settled down next to her brother, and Newleaf leaned close to Littlecloud, having the feeling that even though they were far from camp, he'd whisper, just in case a passing patrol wouldn't hear.

"I didn't want to tell you because I know you'd freak out, but Darkwing urged me that you should know. He said that you deserved to know, and that it's not right that we'd be keeping secrets from you." Littlecloud began.

That flared Newleaf's curiosity. What was it? She wondered, and crept closer, pricking her ears.

Her brother took a deep breath, and closed his amber eyes, as if gathering his courage. He opened them, and said, "Newleaf, I overheard Brokenstar telling Clawface and Blackfoot to steal kits from RiverClan and ThunderClan."

**I know, even when it's almost Christmas, I'm mean. I gave you a Cliffy. Please don't hate me! At least it's extra long, right? Look on the bright side! Review please! Maybe then I'll update on Christmas. Okay, well, most likely NOT on Christmas, but I'll try to maybe on New Year's Eve. Would you like that? Oh, and because I'm lazy, from now on I'll only respond to your reviews if I have something to say other than "thanks." If it's important, you bet I'll respond!**

**Queen Of The Pens: We all hate being bored. But at least if we're bored, our creative minds will whip up some fanfics, right? I know that's what I do.**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: Well, yes. Kind of like a Snowshoe Cat. You know, I'm embarrased to say this, but before you brought it up, I didn't know what a Snowshoe cat was. I looked it up on Google. I felt so stupid because I call myself the "Cat Expert". I was so mad at myself I kind of wanted my Siamese Cat, Tito, to scratch me. But of course I have the best cat on Earth who wouldn't lay a claw on me, so.**

**nobody5: Sorry for not saying about Marshypool. I was in a rush. But I'm afraid I can't tell you. Then there would be such spoilers! I like to keep an essence of mystery.**

**Maplefrost: I'm seriously worried now. A CRUSH ON BROKENSTAR? The first time I read that I burst out laughing. And then you tease your cousin because she has a crush on Hawkfrost. *Violin plays sad song* Unfortunately, though my cousin knows about Warriors because most of her friends are obsessed with it, and I am too, she doesn't like it all that much, so I don't feel really that comfortable talking about Warriors with her. Thank goodness for people who share my obsessions. People... Like... YOU!**

**Everyone else: Thank you for reviewing and PLEASE REVIEW AGAIN.**

**If you don't celebrate Christmas: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! **

**And if you do:**

**_¡_****_Feliz Navidad! (Merry Christmas)_**

**_~Coqui's Song_ **


	27. Trust

**Hi guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday, as promised. My dad forced me to... never mind. The point is, do you realize that this is my first update in the year 2011? YAY! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERY ONE! **

**Anyway, thank you to my awesome reviewers: Queen Of The Pens, Snowlight, Dreamheart, Gabalot, Maplefrost, nobody5, and I'M A FREAKIN TACO.**

Chapter Twenty-Six

_A shocked silence followed Littlecloud's _words. The only sound was the soft breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees. And it stayed like that for a long while, until the light of the sun didn't touch the sky. A few warriors of StarClan had awakened, along with the bright moon.

Newleaf could do nothing but stare at her brother with her vivid, yet intimidating blue eyes. She could not even _think_, and that was what she was best at, was it not?

Slowly she turned her head to Darkwing, who was gazing at her intently. She knew why. He was watching her for her reaction. He had known what Littlecloud was going to say, yet it seemed that he was just as shocked as Newleaf. Perhaps he hadn't quite believed it, and now, hearing it again, he knew this was real.

Newleaf took a slow, deep breath, and managed to croak out. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago. The day you almost drowned." Was Littlecloud's quiet reply.

"That's why you didn't want to tell me. You didn't want to make me more upset. I'd almost died, and having this new knowledge and not being able to do anything about it…"

Littlecloud nodded. "But I couldn't take it anymore last night. I had to tell someone. So I told Darkwing."

At this, the black warrior jumped in the conversation. "I didn't believe it at first. I played along. Littlecloud has always been a bit paranoid. But then I thought about you. _You _have always had an overactive imagination. You were always paranoid. You always told me or Littlecloud, and you were always right. And it wasn't fair that I always trusted you when you told me something almost impossible, and I wouldn't believe Littlecloud. So I decided to trust him on this."

Newleaf smirked at him, trying to hide the fact that her ears were hot with embarrassment. "Aw, you think about me."

Darkwing scowled. "Just that one time!"

"Okay," she teased. "Just once. I believe that. Anyway, Darkwing, it's good that you trusted my brother. Because I did immediately. He wouldn't lie about something like this. Who would, really?"

"I have no idea," said Littlecloud. "Except if you planned it."

"True," she dipped her head to her brother. "So, how do we stop it?"

The two toms shook their heads. "We don't know."

"Well, we have to do _something. _I mean, what use is this knowledge if you can't affect it in some way?" she demanded.

"Look, Newleaf, we don't know how. We'll plan something later. I just wanted to tell you."

"You knew what telling me would mean, didn't you? Once you tell me, we have to come up with a plan! We can't just sit here and let things happen! We have a chance to change ShadowClan's actions, and you're not going to help me think of a way?" her voice was rising dangerously.

"Newleaf-" Darkwing started, but she'd already whipped around and vanished in the darkness of the pine forest.

* * *

_Mouse-brains! If they tell me something, they should have a plan! I can't believe they just want to sit there like dead squirrels. _She thought angrily. _Well, _I'll _do something. I'm not sure what, but I'll stop Brokenstar._

_Squirrels? Did you ask for me, Newleaf? _Squirrelpaw's voice. Her sister hadn't spoken to her in so long, Newleaf's heart leaped like a fish.

_Squirrelpaw! I've missed you. Tell our mouse-brained brother-_

_Newleaf, he's not sure what to do. That's why he's reluctant to do anything rash that could end up being worse for ShadowClan._

_I'm not sure, either. But I want to do something to stop Brokenstar. It's what's right. I know it now._

She imagined Squirrelpaw nodding at her right now, smiling. _True. But let me ask you something, Newleaf: Are you loyal to your Clan?_

_Of course! Brokenstar honored my loyalty in my warrior naming ceremony. _

_But was that not loyalty in a general sense? He said "loyalty", _not_ "Clan loyalty"._

Newleaf did not know what to say now. Did Brokenstar say… it came back to her. _'StarClan honors your loyalty and your valiance.'_

_You're accusing me of disloyalty to my Clan? _She asked angrily. _How could you? My own sister?_By now Newleaf had begun to shake with barely restrained fury that her sister should even _suggest_ such a thing.

Squirrelpaw was silent.

_You are! I can't believe you! Can I trust no one? _She snarled silently.

_You can trust someone. You can trust me. _

_How? How can I if you accuse me of such a thing as being disloyal?_Newleaf demanded.

_I'm not accusing you, Newleaf. I'm making you realize it's okay to be disloyal sometimes._

_Is it? _

_Sometimes, perhaps. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. Disloyalty can be good in some situations. You _are_loyal, Newleaf. Just in different ways._And with that, Newleaf felt her sister's presence fade, leaving her alone in the dark.

* * *

How could it be okay to be disloyal? How could a bad thing be good? Newleaf wracked her mind, but these questions were going around her brain in a vicious cycle. Why couldn't StarClan cats just skip right to the point of what they were trying to say? Some cats were dumb, you know! Some cats wouldn't understand, and even the smart cats probably wouldn't get it!

Newleaf made a decision that once she was a StarClan warrior, she'd say whatever she'd have to in a straightforward way.

She scowled. She'd get it eventually, but for now, she needed help to make a plan to stop Brokenstar. Marshypool? No. She was too… no. Her mother? Especially not! Her father? Too busy. Her only choices were Littlecloud and Darkwing, and they didn't want to help.

_Fine, _she thought_. If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself._

**I think I like leaving off at cliffhangers. It's fun to torture people this way. Sigh. Why am I so evil? :D**

**Anyway, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW! Post theories for what you think's gonna happen next, what you thought of the chapter, ect, ect. Even one word is sufficient! I just want reviews!**

**Queen Of The Pens: Oh, yes. I;m like that too. That's why I'm REALLY trying to MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE Newleaf stays the SAME. You like her that way, yes? I once made a character before I started FF. Now SHE was a MARY-SUE. I look at the story now and say "Did I really write like that?"**

**Snowlight; Oh, thank you! *Squeezes plushies* Yay! Know what I gave YOU? This chapter! :)**

**Dreamheart: Thanks, I really don't mind if you forget once in a while. I do that too. No one's perfect! Don't worry about it. **

**Maplefrost: Um, I think it's just you. Or perhaps I do it subconsciously? Hmm... **

**nobody5: EVERYBODY wants to know what happens. I'm afraid I can't say! Oh, and that's fine, as long as you remember to review!**

**I'M A FREAKIN TACO: It depends. I mean, I think maybe we're on the same level of expertise now. :)**

**To everyone: HAPPY NEW YEAR'S 2011!**

_**~Coqui's Song **_**(A.K.A. Coqui)**


	28. Plans

**Hi again! Only two people reviewed last chapter. Eh, it's okay. I forgive you all! Thank you to the awesome ones who DID: Queen Of The Pens, and Snowflash. Snowflash, you said you needed the next chapter soon. Here it is.**

Chapter Twenty-Seven

_Angrily entering the ShadowClan camp in the dark _night, Newleaf went to the warrior's den immediately, without even stopping to take something from the fresh-kill pile. She wanted to be alone to think for a while. She crept to her nest, stepping over already sleeping warriors and lay down, closing her eyes in concentration. So she needed a plan…

_Come on, mouse-brain! Think of a way!_ She urged herself. Should she confront Brokenstar? No, too risky. There were many things wrong with that plan. Should she urge Brokenstar to not steal kits? Same problem. Besides, she had the feeling that Brokenstar wasn't one to listen to reason. He must not have a lot of common sense if he were to steal kits. _This is getting nowhere. Maybe Darkwing and Littlecloud are right. Maybe it's best if we just let things go their course. _

Newleaf had barely finished the thought when the plan hit her mind with such force it felt as if a monster had run her over. Her eyes snapped wide open, somewhat luminescent in the gloom of the den. _Of course! _She was wondering why the idea hadn't come before.

_Brokenstar wants to use me as a spy. Well, I'll spy. _She narrowed her eyes at this. _And I'll steal the kits _back. She knew the consequences if she got caught taking the kits back to their birth Clans, but in that moment it seemed like a minor detail. Newleaf could probably get exiled if she was caught, or perhaps killed. It was nothing good, of course.

What would Brokenstar say if he caught her? Oh, yes, something along these lines: "You have taken future warriors of ShadowClan _back _to their birth Clans to make more enemies for us. Why would you do that? Are you perhaps a spy for ThunderClan? RiverClan, maybe? Marshypool told me you were rescued by a RiverClan warrior. Perhaps you made an alliance with her…."

Really, Brokenstar would go on and on with assumptions and accusations until Newleaf herself didn't believe why she'd done it, and the worst of it: he'd make her feel _guilty _for doing something right. Guilty for doing something she believed in.

Newleaf was ready to take the risk, and she was ready for all the consequences along with it. She didn't care. She was absolutely determined to do what she believed in, and she _wanted _to suffer from it. It would be wrong to, yes, but that suffering would only make her more willful not to quit.

But she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. The idea had lodged into her brain far too deep, and the more she thought of it, the more she liked it. She'd try to sleep anyway. She had a plan to carry through.

She closed her eyes, actually purring in contentment, kneading the soft balls of moss that made up her nest. Suddenly soft fur brushed her side, and she instantly opened her eyes, and stopped purring.

She wasn't anxious to start purring again as her glaring eyes saw the cat. Instead she growled, "Traitor," at Darkwing.

The black tom's head whipped around, his eyes focusing on her face, staring for a couple moments before mewing softly, "Newleaf, I'm sorry. I just… I don't know what to do about the kits." He lowered his gaze as he said that.

She glowered at him more, then turned her head. She meowed at him scathingly, "_You _might not, but _I_ do."

Newleaf could feel his flinch as if she'd seen it. She felt guilty for that, but if Darkwing wasn't going to help her, he'd best leave her be. But, of course he didn't. That was one of his most annoying qualities.

After a complete silence for a while, almost sure he'd left her for his own nest, she turned her head back, but sure enough, he was still there, staring down at his paws. "So, Newleaf, what's your plan, then?"

"Why should I tell you? You didn't want to help me out there in the woods."

"You never said we weren't friends anymore."

"Maybe I should say it to get you out of my fur, then."

At this, Darkwing really became his old self. He smirked at her, eyes glittering. "Oh, you don't want that, Newleaf. Who else would tease you?"

"Trickery!" she realized out loud. "You're trying to make me friendly with you again!"

He shrugged. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Maybe you're doing that on your own."

"I'm mad at you," she stated simply. "Why can't you respect that?"

Her friend (oh, look, she'd started to refer to him as a "friend" again! Stupid Darkwing…) looked at her in amusement. "I do respect that. I'm just trying to change your mood."

She growled at him again, only much friendlier. "I can never stay angry at you."

"And I'm glad about that. So, your plan?"

She sighed. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Too many ears." She gestured to the sleeping warriors of the den. Some were breathing lightly, some heavily, some snoring in deep sleep. Occasionally an ear would twitch, eyes would flicker, or a mew would escape a warrior's mouth as they dreamed. It was almost peaceful. "They might hear."

Darkwing hesitated, then nodded. "Okay, Newleaf. Will I be a part of the plan?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll have to have some help…" She drifted off in thought, and Darkwing narrowed his eyes.

"I suppose we'll just have to see." He mewed, settling in his nest, which was next to hers. "Get some sleep, Newleaf. You've got a plan to carry through."

She sighed. "I'll try, but there are no promises."

* * *

The bright sunlight just barely reached the inside of the warrior's den, and Newleaf woke to the sound of waking warriors. She yawned, surprised she'd actually slept a full night. Her stomach growled with hunger, and she remembered she hadn't eaten the previous night.

"Newleaf," whispered Littlecloud's voice beside her, and she turned her head at the sound of her name. She wasn't angry with Littlecloud anymore, merely annoyed.

"Yes?"

He crouched down. "You know those kits I told you about, and how they were to be apprenticed yesterday?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I found out that two of them… Two of them…" he was struggling with the words, glancing around them anxiously, but Newleaf had already guessed that they were stolen from other Clans. But which ones, she wondered.

She nodded. "I have a plan. Tell you later. Oh, and Littlecloud?"

"Yes?"

"Who are the mentors of these kits?"

"Blackfoot, Russetfur, and Swanwing."

She frowned at these names. Blackfoot and Russetfur were both friends of Brokenstar, of course, Blackfoot as his deputy. Swanwing was a feisty young she-cat, completely black with emerald green eyes that burned. She was also the mother of Darkwing.

"We missed the naming ceremony, then," she realized.

Her brother nodded.

"I will talk with you later, Littlecloud." She said.

"Okay, Newleaf. See you later, then."

* * *

Newleaf stalked to the fresh-kill pile, and stopped as she saw a new apprentice bounce up to her. She sniffed the air for his Clan scent, but it was so hidden by ShadowClan scent it was impossible to tell. She realized Brokenstar must've been stealing kits ever since she was in the nursery. She struggled to remember, but she distinctly thought one day a new kit would show up in the nursery… and then what? Did Brokenstar apprentice them? He must've, but she'd been so young… perhaps only one moon old. Once she'd turned to be three moons, it had stopped, and she'd forgotten about it until now.

"Hello," said the new apprentice. His fur was a pale silver. Harsh white streaks colored his back and tail. He looked like a RiverClan cat, she mused. He shivered, but it wasn't cold out.

"Hi," she replied, softening. She wasn't much older than this kit; barely five moons old, while he was perhaps three. "I'm Newleaf. I'm a warrior. Sorry I wasn't at your apprentice naming ceremony."

The tom shivered again, his hazel colored eyes widening. "_You're_ Newleaf? Oh, wow! You're really her? That's amazing! You're such a good warrior, you're named after the season! Wow! It's okay that you missed my ceremony, I would've embarrassed myself like this."

She was taken aback. Newleaf didn't feel like a heroine that solved all Brokenstar's problems, and she certainly didn't want to be one. As far as she was concerned, she was just Newleaf, Secret Enemy of Wrongdoings, Foe of the Mistreating of Kits, and Spy Extraordinaire. Oh, and Secret Friend of All Things Good. If she did all these things openly, she wouldn't even be a ShadowClan cat still.

But now, here was an apprentice, saying that she was a great cat. _I am nothing_, she thought, but she cracked a smile and laughed. "Why, thank you. And your name would be…"

"Oh, I assure you, it's not as fabulous as yours. My name's Shiverpaw." He said.

"Who's your mentor?"

His eyes held a gleam of fear. "Blackfoot."

She nodded encouragingly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

And with that, she took up a sparrow and began to eat.

**Okay, so longer chappie than usual, mad Newleaf... What's not to love? Review, please! I need your words of encouragement. Especially because I lost my cell phone last week... Cheer me up with reviews, please. PLEASE?**

**Queen Of The Pens: Yes, but I was busy in a New Year's Party with my family.**

**Snowflash: I agree. They are quite cute together...**

**_~Coqui's Song _(Or Coqui)**


	29. Schemes

**Hi! Sorry, I've been busy, so I couldn't update as fast as I'd wanted. Queen Of The Pens, I've tried to do as you asked to make my chapters longer. I'm going to work on that. Thank you to all my fabulous reviewers who all deserve a hug: emtollyxtanctorsson, Queen Of The Pens, Dreamheart, Snowlight, and Pencil37! Queen Of The Pens, this chapter is dedicated to you!**

Chapter Twenty-Eight

_Her eyes darted around the camp, anxious _to see if a cat would take notice of her leave. Nothing. Newleaf sneaked to the camp entrance, her heart beating furiously. She was about to leave the camp to tell Littlecloud and Darkwing her plan to steal the kits back and come back with a few pieces of fresh-kill as an excuse, when she heard a familiar voice ask, "Newleaf, where are you going?"

She cursed under her breath, and turned to face her former mentor. Newleaf loved Foxfur almost as much as she loved her own mother, but at this particular moment, she was not quite willing to chat with her. "Hello, Foxfur."

The sunlight made the older warrior's red pelt shine as bright as a flame, and her emerald green eyes glittered playfully as always. "Where are you going?" she repeated.

"Hunting," said Newleaf innocently. She hoped fiercely that Foxfur wouldn't ask to accompany her to give her some tips on hunting techniques. "I need to work on it."

Foxfur seemed to understand that she wanted to be alone by the tone of Newleaf's voice, so she nodded curtly and mewed, "Well, if you want to speak with me when you return, I'll be here."

Newleaf immediately translated that as: _You can tell me anything. You can trust me. _The thought made her flinch, because as much as she loved her former mentor, she wasn't sure if she could trust Foxfur, and that made her angry at herself. She wanted to trust her more than she wanted to trust anyone, but she didn't know if she was in the league with Brokenstar and if she was… what would she do? What _could_ she do?

_How could you? _She asked herself angrily. _She loves you as if you were her kit._

Her thoughts were interrupted as Foxfur bent down, concern etched on her face. "Are you all right, Newleaf?"

She took a deep breath and tried for a smile, but her head was dizzy and she wished Foxfur would just leave her be for the moment. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll be going now, Foxfur."

"Okay," said the red-furred warrior, her bushy red tail swishing. Foxfur padded away, and Newleaf slipped out of the ShadowClan camp, heart pounding in her chest hard.

Once out of sight of the camp, she began to sprint to their meeting place, where would tell Littlecloud and Darkwing her plan. As she ran, she wondered if she should tell Foxfur. She wanted to, but there was no telling what Foxfur would do. Even if she would not tell Brokenstar, would she even approve? _A Clan leader's word is law,_ Newleaf remembered Foxfur telling her this before they drove out WindClan. Perhaps she could make an exception to the rule.

Newleaf was thinking so hard and so fast that she raced past the meeting place. She soon realized this, and she skidded to a halt before whipping around and running back the way she'd come, slower this time. She slowed as she saw the dead old tree, surrounded by toadstools that would cover their scent.

She whispered, "Littlecloud? Darkwing? Are you there?"

Two mews responded, and she crept inside. Darkwing's blue eyes glimmered in the shadow, likewise with Littlecloud's amber eyes.

Newleaf could barely see Darkwing's black pelt in the gloom, only the faint silhouette was visible. Littlecloud was easier to see, with his light brown tabby pelt. She settled next to them, and sighed.

"Well?" prompted Darkwing, "Are you going to tell us your plan or are we here just to enjoy your company?"

Newleaf scowled at him before remembering he probably couldn't see it. "I'll tell you. Just let me think about what I'm going to say."

Panic fluttered in her chest as she realized she didn't know what to say. How come when you think of the plan in your mind, it sounds reasonable and logical, and then when you want to tell another, you couldn't find the words to explain it? Newleaf wished Darkwing could just read her mind.

She licked her lips, and began tentatively. "Well, Brokenstar steals the kits, right? Maybe we could steal them _back._"

Darkwing snorted. "I could have thought of it myself, Newleaf."

"But you didn't," she snapped at him, padding up to Darkwing so close their noses touched , "So lay off. I'm not finished yet."

She got out of his face and continued, "As I was saying, we can't steal the kits ourselves. Brokenstar would know something's up if we don't show up with kits. So we let him steal all the kits he wants. He probably won't take them himself though, and that's where we come in. We follow the warriors of ShadowClan that are to steal the kits, and we alert the other Clan."

"Won't Brokenstar know we're traitors to our own Clan, then?" asked Littlecloud.

"Well, if we spy, like we're so good at-"

"No, no." said her brother, and she felt the brush of air that he had made while shaking his head. "It won't work."

"It's a good plan," mused Darkwing, "But maybe we should let the warriors steal the kits, then sneak in the nursery and steal them back."

"Won't the nursery be heavily guarded, though?" she asked, frowning in thought.

"So?" he probably shrugged. "We're ShadowClan warriors. We can sneak in and out of the nursery easily. Our size would help, too."

"It would," agreed Newleaf. "We're basically still kits, being five moons old."

"We still have the scent of the nursery clinging on our pelts, too. It's faint, but you can still smell it." Littlecloud put in.

"So you really think that we'll be able to pull this off?" asked Newleaf.

"Oh, perhaps not completely, but it's possible we can, sure." replied Darkwing, nodding.

Newleaf let it sink in for a bit.

"I have an idea. Littlecloud said that we still have the scent of the nursery clinging to us, yes? What if it isn't enough? We go into the nursery often, to clean the nests and all that so the kit scent and the scent of the queens will be strong in our fur, so when we sneak in the nursery at night to steal the kits, they won't smell anything strange." She said.

Her friends pondered this for a moment. Then Darkwing said, "But the nursery will still be heavily guarded. How do we get past _that_? Not every ShadowClan warrior is on our side. In fact, we're the only ShadowClan warriors on our side."

"Maybe _we _can be the guards." thought Newleaf aloud.

"I don't think that'll work. We're the youngest warriors. Will Brokenstar really trust us with that?" Littlecloud asked.

"I-I don't know," said Newleaf, feeling quite frustrated by now. She'd thought it to be great plan, and here were her friends picking at it like vultures picking apart their rotten prey. She lowered her head and sighed.

"Hey," said Darkwing softly to Newleaf, stroking her side with his tail, "Don't worry about it. It's a good plan. We'll do it."

"Yeah," agreed Littlecloud. "It'll work. At least once."

Unfortunately, they knew they could not take the new apprentices back to their birth Clans. The warriors would notice, they were needed now. And so they started with their plan.

* * *

A few days later, after working on Newleaf's plan, working in the nursery whenever border patrols or hunting parties spared them, it happened.

Newleaf would never truly go to sleep at night. It would be a light doze at best. A noise at the camp instantly woke her, and she narrowed her blue eyes, wondering what was going on at moonhigh.

Dark brown fur flashed at the entrance, making its way quickly and purposefully to the nursery. A tiny bundle hung from the cat's mouth. A kit. Newleaf knew the cat was Clawface, come from an enemy Clan from stealing its kits. Another cat followed Clawface, carrying another tiny bundle of fur. Blackfoot.

Newleaf itched to steal the kits away at this very moment, but she forced her muscles to relax and silently watched. She had to know what she was up against. In a moment of slight panic, she sniffed her fur. It smelled like the nursery.

She recalled some of the warriors teasing her, Littlecloud and Darkwing about it earlier today. Nobody seemed suspicious of the scent of milk and queens on their fur; they dismissed it as being nostalgic of the nursery. _Good, _she thought.

She waited. She watched. She watched more, and waited until the warrior had brushed past her and were sleeping heavily. Strangely, no cat was guarding the nursery. Perhaps they thought no one would notice until the morning. _Mouse-brains, _she thought, I've _noticed. And I also know that now is the time._

She flicked her tail at Darkwing, sleeping next to her. He blinked at her groggily, but immediately understood the look in her eyes. Silently he woke Littlecloud, and the three of them crept out of the den. They were ShadowClan warriors. Sneaking was what they were born for.

They sneaked into the nursery, and scented the new kits. It wasn't hard. The kits were RiverClan, their strong fishy stench could easily be pinpointed. Darkwing and Littlecloud took the kits; Newleaf was their watch.

A kit whimpered, but Newleaf quickly hushed it gently, tensing as a queen groaned and twitched, about to wake.

"Hush, little one. I'm taking you home."

They slipped out of the nursery like fish, and sprinted to the dirtplace tunnel, an alternate exit of the ShadowClan camp, careful not to be seen by the guards of the entrance of the camp. Newleaf didn't welcome the fact that they had to cross the river to get to the two kits' camp, but it didn't matter at that moment. Newleaf's plan was in action, and so far, it was working.

"Good job back there, Newleaf," said Darkwing, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'd never have thought you'd be good with kits."

She glared at him. "I still _am_ a kit, Darkwing, so shut up."

They continued padding throught their territory in silence, Newleaf cautious of their surroundings, because not even she knew if their plan would succeed. Perhaps she was just being her old paranoid self, but she felt glittering, menacing eyes in the shadows, fixed on them. She tried to dismiss the feeling, but she wasn't sure if it really was her imagination.

**All right! So what'd you think? Huh? REVIEW!**

**emtollyxtanctorsson: You'll get your longer chapters more often now. At least, I'll try. ;)**

**Queen Of The Pens: I believe I've already said this, but I... Shall... Try! You guys deserve longer chapters, but I'm just so busy with school and stuff...**

**Dreamheart: No worries! And thank you about the sympathy for the phone.**

**Snowlight: *Is uncomfotable* I'm aware that my story is teen-rated, but I don't really appreciate cuss words in my reviews. I don't curse AT ALL, even if I'm really hurt. I just don't like how it feels... I put up with my friends' cussing around me, but I don't like it, and often I tell them so. Please try not to use such strong words, kay? But, uh, thanks for the monies! I'll spend them on a book!**

**Pencil37: Thank you. You needed the next chapter; I gave it to you!**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	30. Fox

**HI! Didn't expect me so soon, did ya? But I'm here! Thank you to reviewers: Queen Of The Pens, Pencil37, Maplefrost, and Shrewy! **

Chapter Twenty-Nine

_They passed Fourtrees without _another word, but Newleaf still had the feeling that they were being followed. She pricked her ears to hear more clearly, but all she could hear was the heavy breathing of Littlecloud, Darkwing, and herself as well as the occasional hoot of an owl.

The kits wriggled sometimes, complaining in small mews, but the three ShadowClan warriors ignored the RiverClan kits. However, the more Newleaf ignored the kits, the harder it became to truly disregard them. She gave them a reassuring lick, and they quieted.

Moonlight shone on their path as they crossed the bridge to RiverClan territory. Newleaf had decided to leave the kits just outside the RiverClan camp, but now she realized how unreasonable that was. These kits were very small, perhaps a moon old. However, she knew how risky entering the RiverClan camp was. But she supposed that if Clawface and Blackfoot could do it with their large build, three small, slender warriors could do it much easier, with even more stealth.

She knew the RiverClan camp was an island, but even with that, ice poured into her veins as she saw the amount of water they would need to swim through. She'd just gotten out of the medicine den after a near-drowning experience. Her bones ached, her head spun, her blood froze at the thought of crossing the fast moving water.

Darkwing obviously knew what she was thinking, because his tail stroked her, and he glanced at her reassuringly. "It's okay, Newleaf."

Littlecloud nodded in agreement.

But they had no idea what she'd been through in the river. Well, perhaps Darkwing to an extent, but she'd really, truly believed she would have died in the river that day. She took a step back, shaking her head silently, nearly speechless with dread.

Darkwing glanced at Littlecloud, and said, "Look, Newleaf, you're the best one to sneak into the nursery. You're the smallest, the fastest. You have to come with us."

"No," she barely managed to choke out, staring in horror at the dark black water swirling at her feet.

"I'll rescue you," promised Darkwing. "I swear it by StarClan. I'd give my life to save you." Newleaf knew he meant it.

"I swear it, too." Littlecloud said, looking for the first time, fearless. "I'd die for you, too Newleaf. You're my sister."

Newleaf looked at the two toms, whose eyes glinted with seriousness and honesty. They'd die for her. It meant so much to her, the emotion was so deep. She felt so grateful to have friends such as this. Newleaf knew she could trust them with her life. She gazed again at the raging torrent of dark black water, and said, "I'll try."

Those were the words that Darkwing and Littlecloud wanted to hear, she knew. And she meant it as much as they meant their previous words.

Darkwing crossed first with his kit. Newleaf was going to go next, because then, if she started to drown, Littlecloud and Darkwing could come and save her from either side.

_Here goes, _she thought. She plunged into the dark water, and immediately started kicking frantically and blindly. _Help!_

"You're doing fine," encouraged Darkwing. He was reaching outward in case she would suddenly go under.

She shook her head, continuing to swim toward Darkwing. A wave overcame her, and she instantly panicked, crazily clawing her way back above the water. She was surprised to find Darkwing at her side when she blinked her eyes open again. He'd taken her scruff and was pulling her along.

He dragged her to the shore, his blue eyes glittering in the moonlight. "I said I'd save you."

She coughed, and replied, "Thanks."

Oh, StarClan… What was she going to do on the way back?

Littlecloud crossed quickly with his kit, and they shook their pelts.

"Hey," said a mild, yet stern voice. "What are you doing?"

The three ShadowClan cats turned to see… Foxfur coming out of the shadows, her eyes furious. "What are you doing here?"

The shock had not yet dissipated at seeing her former mentor, but even with that, Newleaf knew that she shouldn't lie. It was obvious why they were there. She decided to go with the truth. "We're taking these kits back to their birth Clan. They should be raised with honesty and respect, not of lies and abuse."

It took a moment for Foxfur to reply. "That does not mean being disloyal to your own Clan. I'm ashamed of you, Newleaf. Don't you remember the words of your naming ceremony? StarClan honors your loyalty."

"I remember!" she snapped, "And that is exactly why I'm doing this. I'm not being loyal to my Clan. I'm being loyal to myself. Blackfoot and Clawface _stole _these kits, Foxfur. How would you feel?" Newleaf's eyes flashed to Foxfur's belly, which was slightly round.

Foxfur looked to where Newleaf was staring at, and growled, "How could you know?"

Newleaf didn't answer her question, and instead continued, "How would you feel if another Clan stole your kits?" She took it a step farther. "If they stole me?" The stolen kits mewed, but Newleaf remained firm.

Foxfur flinched at her words and lowered her head. "I would be devastated. Especially if someone stole you, Newleaf. You are like a kit to me."

Newleaf hesitated by Foxfur's sad tone of voice, feeling sorry that she'd been so harsh with her mentor. "Sorry," she muttered, and continued.

"Brokenstar is wrong to steal kits, and apprentice them at three moons, and to make them warriors at my age, five moons. You know that. And you agree. The difference between you and I is simply this, Foxfur, I'm doing something about it. You aren't."

Foxfur sighed. "I know. I'm just afraid of what Brokenstar will do if he should ever find out." She looked at Newleaf, Darkwing, and Littlecloud in admiration. "I suppose you don't care what he does to you."

Littlecloud and Darkwing's eyes widened; they hadn't thought of consequences.

Newleaf glanced at them in amusement. "Actually, these two mouse-brains hadn't thought of it, however, I did, and you're right, I don't care."

"Are you just saying that, Newleaf? Or are you just trying to appear confident?"

Newleaf cocked her head up to Foxfur, trying figure out what she meant by that, because Foxfur had a point: Saying something and doing it are two very different things. "I don't know," she said honestly, "but I'm going to return these kits."

"I'm not sure I can let you, Newleaf."

Flaming anger flashed through Newleaf like lightning.

"You said I could trust you!" she snarled, turning to take the kits back. "I guess you lied."

"I didn't lie. You can trust me."

"How can I know?"

Foxfur regarded her calmly. "You can't know. That's the reason you trust someone."

Newleaf left without another word, Darkwing and Littlecloud glancing back as they followed her, carefully carrying the kits.

* * *

Newleaf flicked her tail to signal that they should give the kits to her. Two warriors guarded the entrance of the RiverClan camp, but Darkwing distracted them by swaying a few reeds. The guards pricked their ears and headed to the reeds, preoccupied for the moment.

She snuck into the entrance without challenge, and scented the nursery. She stalked slowly to it, carrying the kits. Newleaf refused to go into the RiverClan nursery, and she pushed them in. "Go find your mothers, little ones."

One kit blinked up at her and mewed, "Thank you, pretty StarClan cat."

She hesitated, then nodded. "Go on, now."

The small kits stumbled inside. Soon she heard contented sighs and guessed they'd found their mothers. She turned, waving her tail as a signal to her friends, and ran out of the camp, heart pounding as she thought how easy it was. Almost too easy.

The three regrouped, and Newleaf sighed as she saw that Foxfur had waited for them. Now it was time for another confrontation.

"I won't tell Brokenstar," she promised. "You _can _trust me."

She stared into her former mentor's emerald green eyes for a long time before saying, "Okay, Foxfur. I'll trust you."

They turned to the river once more, and her blood ran cold.

"I know you fear the river, Newleaf." whispered Foxfur. "Let go of your fear. Do not fear death."

"I'm not afraid of death; I'm afraid of that raging torrent of dark water just waiting to drag you down to its depths. Dying is fine. I'm afraid of drowning." She shrunk back as she confessed.

Foxfur's tail stroked her, and she replied, "Drowning is a way of dying, Newleaf. It is the same."

"No," she said. "It's not. You haven't experienced it before."

"Newleaf," this time it was Darkwing. "Remember what Littlecloud and I said? That applies now, too. It applies always."

She blinked gratefully at him, and took a deep breath. She jumped as far as she could to avoid swimming through it the full length, and swam to the other side, panicked, but strong. She heaved herself on the other shore, and waited for the three other cats to cross.

"Good job, Newleaf." said Darkwing, eyes glinting with approval.

She only nodded at him.

Foxfur shook her fur as she climbed out of the water, and said, "Well, let's go home."

"Foxfur," meowed Newleaf, "I want to apologize."

The fox-colored warrior stared at her, waiting for her to continue. Newleaf padded up to Foxfur and touched noses with her, and whispered quietly so only she could hear, "You mean as much to me as my own mother."

"And you my own daughter." purred Foxfur. "Perhaps even more than the kits in my belly."

She really could trust Foxfur, realized Newleaf. If she loved her more than her own kits… her own flesh and blood…

"I can't ask that of you, Foxfur. A queen cannot love another queen's kit more than her own." She said quietly.

"You didn't ask it. But it's how I feel." Foxfur's eyes glinted, and she excused them from the two toms.

She led Newleaf away, out of earshot of Darkwing and Littlecloud. "Newleaf, Runningnose told me when I was young-"

"You still are," objected Newleaf, "You're no older than Flintfang."

She chuckled. "A little while after you were born, Runningnose and Yellowfang told me that I couldn't have kits."

"But you're pregnant now," said Newleaf, glancing at Foxfur's belly. It wasn't very noticeable. But she knew it to be true.

"A miracle happened," shrugged Foxfur. "But while I mentored you, I imagined you as my kit. And I started to love as my kit. Now I am truly pregnant by some miracle, but I love you just as much."

"I am happy for you, Foxfur. But I don't want you to love me more than your kits."

She shook her head, "I think StarClan wants to show me how much I can love my own kits rather than just a kit I mentored."

Newleaf smiled, and checked the sky. The moon was sliding to the western horizon. "Let's get Littlecloud and Darkwing. We need to get home."

**So. Hope you like. Review please!**

**Queen Of The Pens: I updated soon! Usually it's every week or every other week. YAY! :D**

**Pencil: They have come a long way. They've done a lot in their young lives. I'm amazed at them myself, really.**

**Maplefrost: Don't worry, I wasn't all bitter about it! There are slow weeks, and hard times, too. :)**

**Shrewy: Thank you very much. That means a lot to me. :)**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	31. Tension

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait. I was busy. I don't really like how this chapter came out, but I decided it was time to post. Hope you like it anyway. Pencil37, this chapter's dedicated to you! Thanks to reviewers: Pencil37, Maplefrost, Queen Of The Pens, Snowlight, and Bubblewhisker.**

Chapter Thirty

_The first rays of the sun stretched _upward in the sky in delicate tendrils, making the rest of the world seem darker somehow. The moon was halfway covered by the horizon, hiding as the sun and moon chased each other in a never-ending game of tag as the sun came up and the moon went under and vice versa.

That only made Newleaf more anxious. What if Brokenstar found out regardless if Foxfur told him or not? _Nonsense, _she scolded herself, _no one else knows about this. No one _will_ know about it._ However, one of the more logical parts of her mind insisted they be careful and think of a brilliant cover-up story if they were caught, no matter how unlikely it seemed. Newleaf needed an alibi.

The four warriors had slipped back into camp unnoticed for the most part, though Marshypool had opened one eye as Littlecloud brushed past her. It made Newleaf wonder if Foxfur wasn't the only one who had followed them. But if Marshypool had been following them as Foxfur had done, Newleaf would have detected her scent. She knew she would.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep anyway.

_"You did a good thing, Newleaf." _The voice jolted her awake, and instantly Newleaf stood up, alert and ready, but saw no one.

She blinked in confusion as the forest around her blazed brightly in what seemed to be starlight. The forest glittered like ice around her, and the heat was intense so it felt like a warm green-leaf night. In her forest, the nights were beginning to get chilly, and at sunrise a faint dusting of frost would appear on the grass, sparkling weakly as the sun reflected on it. This _definitely _wasn't home.

"Where am I?" she asked herself aloud. She looked up and saw the dark sky of night dotted with large stars. Was it her, or did they seem to swirl around?

"StarClan's hunting grounds," replied a voice behind her, and Newleaf whipped around, fur bristled.

Squirrelpaw was sitting behind her, head cocked, eyes glittering in amusement, her pelt sparkling with stars. And beside Squirrelpaw… was _Badgerpaw! _

"Badgerpaw!" she purred at her brother.

He smiled kindly at her. "Actually, Newleaf, it's Badgerfang now."

Newleaf frowned. "But you died an apprentice. Isn't your name supposed to be Badger_paw_?"

"Call me what you will," said Badgerpaw, "But I prefer Badgerfang."

She stared at her brother, his pelt glittering with stars, and her sister, and new grief choked her. This was the first time she'd actually seen them after their death; sure she'd heard Squirrelpaw's voice at times, but seeing her was something different altogether. She'd managed to preoccupy herself with all of these plans to take the stolen kits back, but was she doing it for justice on her littermates, or to forget them? "I-I…"

"Do not grieve," said Squirrelpaw gently, "We walk the skies freely now. And I know that as long as you live, you shall never forget us. And we will be with you always."

"Great," she managed, "Are you going to tell me why you've brought me to StarClan's grounds? Or is it just to congratulate me on a job well done stealing kits back to their Clan?"

Her littermates exchanged an amused glance.

"We've come to warn you that the time is coming," said Badgerpaw.

She frowned. "What time? _My _time? Are you telling me that I'm going to die soon?"

Squirrelpaw chuckled and shook her head fondly, "I'm afraid that is all we can tell you."

"No it's not! You're just _hiding_ things from me, as usual! Tell me!" she snapped.

Squirrelpaw flinched. "We are not hiding anything from you. Just know that the sun will rise on ShadowClan's dark night soon. I'm afraid I can't tell you _how_. Be ready when it happens."

"Oh, yes, newleaf will come," agreed Badgerpaw, barely restraining a laugh.

"Very funny, Badgerpaw. A clever pun, _really_," said Newleaf, sarcasm dripping off each word. She realized something, and she stumbled as she backed away from her deceased littermates, eyes widening in shock and horror. "Oh, StarClan, this isn't a prophecy about me, is it? I won't do it!"

Squirrelpaw smiled at Newleaf, shaking her head. "Not about you. But be ready anyway."

The two StarClan cats faded, leaving Newleaf to jerk awake in the ShadowClan warriors' den.

_

* * *

_

_"'Be ready anyway,'"_ said Newleaf, mocking her sister, scraping grass out of the ground in annoyance. When she'd woken, she'd slipped out of the warriors' den and ran across the Thunderpath to patrol the ThunderClan border alone so she could think more clearly. For some strange reason, the border with ThunderClan always calmed her thoughts so they could be more coherent. She scowled at the ground. "Be ready for what? All I can think of is Brokenstar finding out that we stole the kits and getting in a load of trouble. That's nothing new."

She sniffed the air for ThunderClan scent in case anyone had stepped in ShadowClan territory, and when she didn't smell anything unusual, she padded onward, winding around the entire border and back again, towards Fourtrees.

_"Newleaf,"_ whispered a familiar cat's voice.

Newleaf pricked her ears, pelt bristling and she unsheathed her claws, on full alert for a fight. "Who's that?"

Darkwing strode out of the dark shadows, looking as if he'd melted away from them, as if he were a living shadow. "What's wrong, Newleaf? Littlecloud and Foxfur were looking for you, and I thought I'd follow your scent trail. You're a tricky one to follow, Newleaf."

She sighed, letting her soft white fur lie flat and sheathing her sharp claws. "It's nothing. I'm just wondering… what if Brokenstar finds out? What'll happen?"

Darkwing tipped his head to the side, curiosity in his blue gaze. "I thought you didn't care for consequences."

"I don't," she agreed, "But I just wondered."

"I don't know," Darkwing frowned in thought, "But I don't think he'll be very lenient."

Newleaf snorted. "I _know _he won't be lenient."

"Don't be negative," he scolded.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, okay. Let's go home."

Newleaf brushed past her friend and headed across the Thunderpath.

* * *

"Newleaf," Blackfoot greeted her, "Brokenstar wants to see you."

The instant panic almost made Newleaf pass out. _He found out… Oh, dear StarClan… he found out… what am I to do?_

"Whoa, Newleaf," said Darkwing, pressing closely against her for support. "It'll be okay."

She stared up at him, speechless with terror. "How can you say that? I'm about to die."

"Please, Newleaf, can you stop being so negative?"

"Negativity and sarcasm are my strong points," she said tersely."Wish me luck."

"You'll be okay," promised Darkwing. "You will."

"Okay," sighed Newleaf, taking slow, hesitative steps to Brokenstar's den. Was this what Badgerpaw and Squirrelpaw were warning her about? That she'd get caught? Surely not! Newleaf had known from the start that she'd get punished for doing what was right.

She stopped outside of the den. She refused to let her voice betray how afraid she felt, and said strongly, "Brokenstar? It's Newleaf. You wished to see me?"

"Ah, yes, come in." came the reply, and Newleaf entered the den, eyeing her leader suspiciously.

"Some kits of ours were stolen from us last night, Newleaf." Brokenstar informed her, and the inside of her screamed _Liar! They were not ours. _I_ stole back _RiverClan's_ kits, mouse-brain!_

She forced herself to nod calmly. "Continue, please, Brokenstar."

His eyes narrowed. "Your scent was in the nursery. Have you turned traitor, Newleaf?"

"Please, Brokenstar," she scoffed, "I often go to the nursery to play with the kits. That would explain why my scent was in there. And if it happened last night, I can assure you I was fast asleep in my nest. I was tired after a long day of border patrols."

"And what of Darkwing and Littlecloud? Their scents were in the nursery too."

"They cleaned out the nursery's dirty moss. Queens and kits must have a soft place to rest, don't you think so?" she lied smoothly and convincingly. It was partly true; they had cleaned the nests, and it was for that purpose, the alibi.

"Cleaning nests is an apprentice chore," Brokenstar pointed out. "Why were Darkwing and Littlecloud doing it?"

"There aren't many apprentices left in this Clan," said Newleaf regretfully, "They didn't want the apprentices to be overwhelmed with chores. They need to be trained to fight, yes?"

"I agree," Brokenstar nodded, but there was a growl deep in his throat. "But I'm not sure I believe you."

Newleaf's blood froze as she stared at him, her mouth fighting to open and spill out another convincing lie. Her pause was enough to make Brokenstar sure he was correct.

He grinned at her. "Ah, Newleaf, what am I going to do with you? You make everything so convincing. How you spied for ThunderClan as an apprentice, how you told me to attack their camp. You were so loyal to ShadowClan as an apprentice. What happened to that loyalty?"

"It's still there," she snarled, her fur beginning to fluff up.

"And yet you steal our kits to RiverClan?"

"They are _not_ ShadowClan kits. You stole them from RiverClan. I took them back to their home." She hissed at him, unsheathing her claws.

"So you admit you stole them?" Brokenstar's eyes glowed with triumph.

"Why not? You caught me. I've nothing to hide anymore."

He looked at her as if he couldn't figure her out. Very well as he shouldn't. "So what am I to do with you, Newleaf? And with your littermate and Darkwing? Maybe I should kill you right now and save me trouble."

She couldn't believe she was so calm in the face of death. "You wouldn't want to do that. You want to enjoy my punishment, don't you?"

"Indeed I do," he agreed, seeming to think deeply about what way he wished to punish her. "You're to stay in camp today. No food, no drink. You're to be a prisoner, Newleaf, not a warrior of ShadowClan anymore. Clawface will be paying a visit to ThunderClan's camp tomorrow afternoon." He stared at her with an unnerving yellow gaze. "He'll be stealing some kits, perhaps killing a cat or two. Once he arrives with the kits, ThunderClan will be hot on his trail. Then I'll decide what to do with you and your friends… your permanent punishment."

**Okay, so I left at a cliffhanger. I found I quite like them. *Looks up at cliffhanger and nods in approval* **

**Pencil: Oh, yes, who doesn't like KITS doing heroic deeds? It's hilarious.**

**Maplefrost: Ahem, thank you. I'm not bothered if people forget to review or read once in a while. I'm lazy! I do the same thing too sometimes! What bothers me is if people favorite me or put me on story-alert without reviewing. I HATE that random email saing this person or that favorited me without reviewing!**

**Queen Of The Pens: Yes, she's still quite young. It makes sense, though, because of Brokenstar.**

**Snowy: It's perfectly fine. I didn't meant to get you upset. I was just saying. Talk with your friend Moony, 'kay? :)**

**Bubblewhisker: Oh, I don't know... Are they? YOUR name makes me laugh. In fact the word "bubble" just makes me randomly laugh. That and the word "goggles". *Smothers laugh***

**_~Coqui's Song_**


	32. Accusations

**Hi again, guys! Here's the next chapter, since I kinda left you in suspense last chapter. Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers: Whitestar17, Queen Of The Pens, Smokeclaw of ShadowClan, Pencil37, Maplefrost, and LightningstormZero.**

Chapter Thirty-One

_Swept out of Brokenstar's den _by Blackfoot, Newleaf landed on her side heavily, growling as threateningly as she could at her deputy. Blackfoot's lips curled into a snarl as he pushed her into a den of brambles. "It seems you get to live for now, Newleaf. Tomorrow you might not be so lucky."

She spat at him, neck fur bristling, claws unsheathed, muscles still strong. She'd eaten in the morning and at sunhigh. Brokenstar might have wanted to starve her, but it was too late. Tomorrow it would be harder; she wouldn't have as much energy, but for now, Newleaf was ready for a fight. "You should think yourself lucky you're the deputy!"

"Oh, ho! So the kit-warrior thinks she can beat me in battle." Blackfoot mocked her, wagging his hindquarters as if her were about to make a kill. "Good luck, kitty."

Newleaf hissed and swiped her claws across her deputy's face. Blackfoot dodged in the nick of time, her claws barely scraping his whiskers. But she'd surprised him, and he backed out of the den.

"Good riddance," she muttered, and lay down on the cool grass, naturally scheming a plot to get her out of this mess. Brokenstar had told her too much of his plan- it was almost as if he was _daring_ her to stop him.

It wasn't long after her confrontation with Blackfoot that Darkwing and Littlecloud were thrown into the den, and Newleaf shuffled away to give them room.

Darkwing groaned as he stood up. He'd landed with a hard thump on his shoulder, and now he flexed and stretched the muscle, making sure it wasn't pulled or anything. His ears pricked when he saw Newleaf cowering in the corner.

Littlecloud leapt to his paws as soon as he had recovered, casting a short glance at the entrance. It wasn't guarded, but it was in the middle of the camp, so every cat could see it.

"Newleaf?" asked Darkwing.

"What happened to you?" demanded Newleaf, ignoring his question and instead creeping out of the corner and sniffing his shoulder.

"Blackfoot took me by force. Said I had to join a friend. I didn't want to follow him, so he bruised me up," Darkwing explained. "I fought him the whole way here, though. I gave him a few scratches he won't forget soon."

Newleaf grinned. "You and me both."

Littlecloud stared out of the den worriedly. "Why are we here?"

She told them everything that had happened in Brokenstar's den. She hated that Brokenstar had gotten them, but she was so relieved to have them here with her, and she found herself speaking endlessly about what happened to her in the leader's den, giving each and every small detail.

Littlecloud and Darkwing nodded as they listened, and once she'd finished, taking deep breaths, Darkwing wondered aloud, "Are you going to try to get out of here?"

Newleaf sighed, glancing outside of the den. "I don't know. I think Brokenstar knows by now that though we're kits, we aren't fools."

Her two friends nodded in agreement. They all lay down and closed their eyes, thinking of a way out of their situation.

Suddenly Foxfur peeked through the den entrance, making Newleaf jump to her paws.

"You betrayed us!" Newleaf accused, her blue eyes flashing coldly. "You said I could trust you! And I actually believed you."

Foxfur's emerald green eyes met her gaze steadily, her eyes gentle- not like Newleaf's at all. "I didn't betray your trust," she replied. "I knew you'd think I betrayed you, but I didn't. I swear to StarClan."

"StarClan!" Newleaf scoffed, rolling her eyes. "How do I know you're telling the truth now?"

"I am!" the fox-colored warrior insisted. "What would I gain by telling Brokenstar you stole kits back to RiverClan?"

"That's what I would like to know." Newleaf's eyes had not lost their icy glare, and she stared at Foxfur defiantly.

"I know," said a new voice, and Marshypool slipped inside the prisoner's den. Marshypool's gray eyes stared at all four of them.

"I know," Marshypool repeated. "Foxfur wants to be in Brokenstar's legion."

"That's mouse-brained!" Foxfur snarled. "Why would I want to be in the league with Brokenstar?"

"Because he can give you protection," snapped Marshypool angrily.

Newleaf was dazed. She felt like she was missing an important piece of this mind puzzle. She'd never, _ever_ heard Marshypool talk like that to anyone, let alone an older warrior. It was usually Newleaf who was openly defiant; it was Newleaf who was fierce and cold. She had always known Marshypool to be easygoing and shy, and sweet. What was going on?

"Mouse-brained again! Why would I want his protection? I hate him." Foxfur was being just as fierce as her friend.

Marshypool's gray eyes met each of the cats' eyes. Littlecloud's amber eyes, Darkwing's dark blue, Newleaf's icy turquoise eyes, Foxfur's emerald green.

She began to purr, her pretty brown tabby pelt sparkling in the sun's rays. "All of you hate Brokenstar. But you don't realize that Clan loyalty is about loyalty to your leader. And I am most certainly not disloyal to my Clan."

The supernova of new knowledge made Newleaf's head spin. "It was you," she realized. "It wasn't Foxfur I felt staring at us. It was you. You told Brokenstar."

Marshypool smiled. "I'm sure we can still be friends. I just needed to teach you a lesson."

_"Friends?" _echoed Newleaf in disbelief. "You- and I felt bad I was keeping secrets from you! I thought I should tell you! I thought I'd need you on my side! But all this time, you knew."

Foxfur's eyes widened. "How could you? You were such a good apprentice."

"I was," agreed Marshypool, "Because I was more loyal than any of these compassionate fleabags. They care for the other Clans. Balance between the Four and all that. What a mouse-brained thought! If the other Clans can't care for themselves, well, too bad for them."

"A wise warrior knows the Clans _do_ need balance!" snapped Foxfur.

"Oh, don't you have some kits to bear?" mocked Marshypool, and the fox-furred warrior's eyes flashed with rage, the first time Newleaf had seen that happen. "You'd be much more useful as a queen anyway."

Newleaf snarled at Marshypool, and her former friend looked faintly surprised. "Wow, Newleaf. I had no idea you could sound so intimidating. But are you really? Or are you just a scared little kit?"

Blind fury exploded in Newleaf, and she leapt at Marshypool, clawing at her shoulders. All Newleaf saw was a red cloud of rage. "You-" Newleaf slashed at Marshypool's face.

"Were-" Marshypool dodged, smirking. Hey! Newleaf thought. Smirking was _Darkwing's _thing.

"My-" She lunged at Marshypool, trying to rip some of her fur off.

Marshypool blocked, but she was straining. Obviously Newleaf was a talented fighter. She pinned Marshypool down with a final lunge. "Friend!"

Newleaf's teeth were hovering above Marshypool's exposed neck, and Marshypool glared at her boldly as she waited for Newleaf to deliver the killing bite.

"No," hissed Newleaf, and Marshypool blinked. "I won't stoop lower than you. I have beaten you in a fair fight. I need not kill you. A warrior does not need to kill in battle. Your mentor did not teach you that," she glanced at Foxfur, "But mine did. So once I get off you, leave."

"Okay," Marshypool rolled her eyes.

Newleaf tightened her grip on her shoulders, and Marshypool whimpered in pain. "I mean it."

"Okay, okay!"

Newleaf loosened her grip and got off, but instantly Marshypool pinned her down. "To win, one does not always fight fair."

Immediately Darkwing came to Newleaf's rescue once more, pulling Marshypool away from Newleaf by her scruff.

"Leave," snarled Darkwing, anger flashing in his eyes. "Now."

Marshypool glared at him, then Foxfur, and she glared at Newleaf the longest. "This is not over," she said, and she spun round and disappeared.

"I agree," Newleaf growled as Marshypool's tail whisked out of the den. "It's only beginning."

**Okay, so Marshypool's really the bad guy, eh? Were any of you surprised? Or did you suspect? I gave hints, so... *Shrugs***

**Whitestar: I completely agree. Stupid Brokenstar...**

**Queen Of The Pens: You and me both. I like WRITING cliffies. Do I like reading them? No, no I do not.**

**Smokeclaw: Whose name? Newleaf's name? The story's name? Or my name? Because if it is MY name, then I seriously thank you. I wanted it to seem like the ancient Tribe cats' names e.i Dove's Wing, Jay's Wing, Fallen Leaves, Stone Song. And yet I wanted it to seem different. So yeah.**

**Pencil: No prob. And I take every review seriously. That is, unless, it's just "Update Soon!", then I actually just skim over it. ;)**

**Maplefrost: You see what happens next? Maybe you have some predictions?**

**LightningstormZero: Thank you! I'm glad I'm relativily famous here. :)**

**_~Coqui's Song_**


	33. Permanent Punishment

**HELLO! I'm VERY happy right now, as I almost have 200 reviews! YAY! Thanks: Nightfeather12, XxRainbowSprinklesxX, Queen Of The Pens, and all of the wonderful reviews from PurpleVNeck! I bring you... the next chapter.**

Chapter Thirty-Two

_The long moments after Marshypool left were _filledwith complete silence. Newleaf's white fur was bristled, and she glared at the entrance of the prisoner den with icy cold blue eyes, daring her former friend to come back, tail lashing furiously. She did this until she felt Darkwing's black tail touch her shoulder, and Newleaf glanced at him.

His dark blue eyes were carefully neutral, his black fur flattened. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied briskly, then turned her gaze to Foxfur. "You were right. I should have trusted you more." She dipped her head. "I am sorry."

"What was that?" asked Littlecloud, his outburst held in much too long. "I can't believe it was Marshypool! She was my friend."

"She was a friend to all of us," said Newleaf, jet-black tail held high, blue eyes glinting coldly. "Not anymore."

"What will we do?" Littlecloud turned his eyes to Newleaf, and she felt a burst of contentment. She wasn't happy as long as they were being held as prisoners, but her brother and Darkwing expected leadership from her, as they often did.

"Foxfur?" Newleaf asked her former mentor. "Are you a prisoner as well?"

"No," Foxfur replied, her green eyes thoughtful. "I do not think Brokenstar believes any of his other warriors would betray him in this way."

"Good," said Newleaf, plans and schemes already entering her mind. None of them seemed possible. "We will need you. Do you think you can handle fighting in your condition?" She meant: _Can you fight without killing the kits in your belly?_

"If it's only a light skirmish," she said.

She nodded. "Okay. I don't have a plan yet, but I think when it comes, you'll be an important part of it."

"It's late," observed Darkwing, "And we don't have to worry about worse things to come until tomorrow afternoon. Why don't we sleep? If we can't eat, we will need sleep."

"Well said, Darkwing," agreed Foxfur. "I'll leave you three in peace for now. Sleep well."

Newleaf snorted in disbelief. As if she would sleep tonight!

Foxfur stalked out of the den, her bushy white-tipped tail lashing. Newleaf watched her go, and once her former mentor was out of earshot, her shoulders slumped and she gazed down at her white paws.

Darkwing was studying her with his dark eyes, that she knew. She literally felt his curious blue gaze scorching her pelt.

She scowled and lifted her gaze to his face. "What is it, Darkwing?"

Darkwing shook his head, puzzled. "I just don't get it. Why would Marshypool be one of Brokenstar's allies? Her brothers and sisters died in the Battle with WindClan, too. Brokenstar never really favored–" he cut himself off. "Those times– when he told us to spy on ThunderClan, and we asked why he hadn't asked Marshypool to do it too…"

"Marshypool had joined Brokenstar far before this, then," Newleaf realized out loud.

"But that still leaves us with the question of _why _Marshypool would betray us," Littlecloud interjected, his head cocked thoughtfully.

"Why don't we just _ask_?" Darkwing sighed exasperatedly.

Newleaf stared at the dark black warrior, feeling annoyance spark within her. "You'd ask a traitor?"

"Why assume if you can get the truth straight from Marshypool?" he shrugged.

"Because she might lie- wait no, she _will_ lie. Why should we trust her with anything after this?" Newleaf challenged, and a horrible thought occurred to her- one that she could not erase from her mind. She wasn't sure if she could muster the courage to ask Darkwing, but it had to be asked. Betrayal could come from anywhere. "Unless, Darkwing, maybe you're in the league with Brokenstar as well?" Her voice was icy cold, saturated patience clearly heard.

A flash of anger entered Darkwing's blue eyes, and he growled, "You really think that, Newleaf?"

If she didn't know better, she would have thought he sounded hurt in his voice. Hurt? Absurd! Darkwing could be angry, happy, impatient, kind, afraid, jealous, calm, sad… but hurt? Never. It simply could not happen.

"No," she replied softly, guilt raging through her like a torrent of water, "I don't. But I wonder if Marshypool has betrayed us, anyone can."

He widened his eyes. "I could never betray you, Newleaf."

Suddenly she was drowning again, this time in Darkwing's eyes, and thorns pricked at her heart. Guilt washed over her. Darkwing had come after her when she was drowning in the river. Marshypool hadn't. Had that been a hint that Marshypool never truly cared about her wellbeing? Whenever she needed help, Darkwing was always the one to come to her aid. How could she question his loyalty to her like this? Newleaf looked away from him, closing her eyes so she couldn't see him.

"Newleaf," his soft voice reached her ears and his tail stroked her side gently.

She whipped her head to him, opening her eyes and gazing up at his eyes miserably. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't question you like this. Either of you. You are my closest friends. How can I think like this?" Despair almost met her, and she wretched her gaze from his again.

She wished she wasn't a prisoner. Then she could run out of camp and make sense of all this that was happening. But she was a prisoner; it was her fault, too, so she just curled up in one corner of the small den and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

"Newleaf," Darkwing tried, but she closed her eyes tight and ignored him.

He lay next to her, and she curled up tighter. She felt his hot breath on her ear as he whispered, "I understand your wariness. I just want you to know that I will never, ever betray you. _Never._"

He was so close to her she could feel his warmth, and she briefly wished he would lean to her, and she could curl up in his warmth, but as quickly as he'd appeared next to her, he was gone and curled up in a different corner of the den just as fast.

She opened her eyes, but Darkwing was already dozing, and she knew that he was a light sleeper. Littlecloud, however, was still awake, and his amber eyes blinked at her in amusement, his gaze momentarily flashing to Darkwing's sleeping form. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea what you mean," said Newleaf snappily, and she rested her head on her paws and closed her eyes again.

"Yes, you do," he teased softly. "And if not, you will soon."

* * *

Newleaf barely got enough sleep in the night, what with the strange conversation with Darkwing and Littlecloud and with her fight with Marshypool. "Wake up," said Darkwing's voice, and her eyes snapped open.

She stretched. "You should have left me to sleep," she complained. "We're prisoners. We aren't going to do anything."

"It's sunhigh," Littlecloud informed her. "And Brokenstar has called us to the Boulderpile. I suppose it's time for our permanent punishment."

Fear struck in Newleaf's heart, but she held it together. The worst that could happen was Brokenstar murdering them all in front of the whole Clan to show how cats that are disloyal to him would be killed. Cats who are disloyal, weak, and otherwise of no use to his Clan in some way. There was nothing worse, she was sure of it. Little did she know there was something much, much worse than death by Brokenstar's jaws that awaited the three ShadowClan cats.

"Come out, kitties," said Blackfoot, and the huge deputy nudged them harshly out of the den, giving them a few scratches. Newleaf hissed at him, fur bristling, but Blackfoot shook his head, a smug grin on his face that Newleaf would have loved to claw off. "You have bigger problems than me."

Darkwing snarled at him, but Newleaf knew he had a point. Right now, Blackfoot was the least of their problems. Newleaf, head and tail held high, stalked off past him to the Boulderpile where Brokenstar sat, tail twitching, yellow eyes glinting evilly. Newleaf and her friends settled near it, all three of them shooting defiant glares at the leader of ShadowClan.

"Clawface is on his way to ThunderClan now," he informed the three warriors, "And he will be stealing as many kits as he can carry. But enough of that. I have decided on your punishment."

_Please let this be only apprentice duties,_ Newleaf prayed, though she knew it was hopeless. The ruthless leader in front of her would never decide on apprentice duties. _Please let him be merciful for once in his life._

"Before I go on to say what it is, do you have anything to say for yourselves?" Brokenstar asked calmly.

Littlecloud and Darkwing glanced at her expectantly, and she dipped her head to them slightly, and pricked her ears. She glared up at the leader, and saw him watching her with faint interest. Anger surged through Newleaf, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Yes, I do have something to say."

"Then go on; I'm interested to hear what you have to say."

"We did the right thing," said Newleaf simply, "It was difficult, but we did it nevertheless. Which is more than you can say."

The other cats in the Clan had slowly started to notice what was going on at the Boulderpile, and they were creeping over curiously to see what was happening.

"The right thing is not always the best thing to do," he replied, to which Newleaf was puzzled. The right thing was always the best thing. How could Brokenstar say that?

_He is corrupt, _she told herself, _he does not have ShadowClan's best interests at heart. He cares only for his own reputation. He is unreasonable._

"And so your punishment will be death," said the ShadowClan leader.

_Death, _thought Newleaf, who was getting tired of death threats,_ that's not new. Can anyone think of anything worse? Apparently not. _

"By destroying yourselves." finished Brokenstar, and the three cats gazed up at him in horror. "You work together; you die together, by your own friend's jaws. Not mine. You die by your own mistakes."

"No," she choked out, backing away in terror, fur fluffed up. She saw a flash of brown tabby fur by the corner of her eye, and knew Marshypool was anticipating to watch their execution.

Marshypool was not moving, only watching them closely, but Newleaf did not see bloodlust or hatred in her eyes. Strange for a cat who had betrayed her only the day before.

"Yes," hissed Brokenstar, "Let's see… I think Darkwing and Littlecloud will fight first. The one that wins will have the pleasure of battling Newleaf. The one who wins the fight with Newleaf will die by Marshypool's claws. The rule: to win, one must kill the opponent. Newleaf, come up here with me. I want you to watch your friend or your brother die before your very eyes."

Newleaf barely managed, "No!"

Brokenstar twitched his tail, and Blackfoot sank his teeth in her scruff. She resisted, screeching and kicking, claws unsheathed, fighting the large deputy with all her might. The deputy deposited her next to Brokenstar, where she lay in a crumpled, exhausted heap. The leader set his paw firmly on her back. "One false move, Newleaf, and you're crowfood."

She glared at him the best she could.

Marshypool looked at her, a pained expression on her face.

_What do you care, Marshypool? You have an alliance with Brokenstar; use it._

The ShadowClan leader removed his paw from her back, and she stood shakily. He nodded to Littlecloud and Darkwing. "Begin your battle."

_"No!"_ Newleaf yowled, terrified. This was wrong in every way. They couldn't fight each other. "Don't do it, Darkwing! No, Littlecloud!"

"Shut up," growled Brokenstar next to her, and his claws slashed her cheek before she could dodge. The scratches burned, and she shook her head, her black muzzle scattering drops of dark red blood.

"No!" she kept on, nearly leaping off the Boulderpile.

Brokenstar bowled her over, baring his teeth. "One false move, Newleaf. Remember."

The two toms were circling each other, confusion in both their eyes. They knew they wouldn't be able to either. Their fur was bristled, claws unsheathed, but all they did was circle each other, waiting for the other to strike first.

To her horror, Darkwing bunched his muscles to pounce, and Littlecloud braced himself to meet his attack.

"No, you guys!" she yelled with all her might, starting to break down and cry. "You can't!"

They met each other, and began to fight. Darkwing swiped at Littlecloud's face, but her brother was too quick for her friend, and he blocked the black tom's next attack.

"No!"

The entire Clan had made a semicircle around the two fighting cats, watching silently. Marshypool looked almost horrified. Foxfur watched the two cats battle each other with her green eyes narrowed, her tail twitching anxiously. Newleaf knew she must have been dying to break up the fight, and it was taking everything she had to restrain herself.

Littlecloud lunged at Darkwing, and they became a whirlwind of screeching, teeth and claws.

"No!" she kept on, not losing sight of hope, though she was truly crying by now. She squirmed out of Brokenstar's hold, but he did nothing to stop her. "Stop!"

The two toms broke apart, and Darkwing shook his head, blood scattering on the ground. Littlecloud was panting, his fur ruffled. A harsh red cut was above his eye.

"Stop!"

Littlecloud's whiskers twitched, and Darkwing, watching his opponent closely, gave a tiny nod.

Then the two cats together went for Blackfoot.

**THANKS A LOT FOR REVIEWING!**

**Since all of you had comments about Marshypool, I tell you: I MIGHT have gone overboard with the evilness thing. *Shrugs***

**And PurpleVNeck: I'm thinking it'll go be from Into the Wild to about halfway through Fire and Ice. **

**EVERYONE: Since the story will finish soon, I'm thinking about a sequel. I won't post one if you don't want one, so please tell me via PM. So yeah, I'll try to update soon, but my life's kinda hectic right now.**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	34. Escape

**I'm UPDATING! I know, but I feel I should, especially with some of you breathing down my neck to update. *Looks at Queen Of The Pens* Anyway, bunch of action now, right? Thank you to reviewers: Goldenfeather, LightningstormZero, Nightfeather12, Dreamheart, Bubblewhisper, IvyClan Moonblossom, PurpleVNeck, Queen Of The Pens, and Shimmerheart.**

Chapter Thirty-Three

_Chaos exploded in the camp at _dodged Littlecloud's attack but could not dodge Darkwing, and the black warrior swiped at the deputy's face. In the other side of camp, Foxfur had leapt on one of Brokenstar's supporters, and Flintfang was next to her, battling another cat.

Marshypool stood in the middle of all the anarchy, dodging other cats but not fighting anyone, only staring at Newleaf with a glazed look in her gray eyes.

_What's wrong with you? _Newleaf thought again in annoyance, and she glanced at Brokenstar, who had jumped down from the Boulderpile, tail lashing angrily. He had gone to assist Blackfoot, but Littlecloud and Darkwing held their own against leader and deputy, as impossible as that was.

"Run, Newleaf!" she was suddenly aware that Darkwing had yowled at her to run away from camp, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts as she leapt down and sprinted to the camp entrance.

Darkwing and Littlecloud had already whisked out of the camp, and were far ahead of her as she exploded out of the entrance and began dashing to follow them.

"After them!" yowled Brokenstar, and he reared on his hind paws to see where Newleaf had gone to, but before he could follow her, Marshypool blocked him, her pretty dark brown tabby pelt bristled. She snarled in fury. Blackfoot stared at the little tabby she-cat in shock, before shaking his head and growling at her to move away from the leader.

_What's going on? _She thought briefly.

Blackfoot snarled and swatted Marshypool aside, pursuing them with a patrol of ShadowClan warriors following closely behind him. Newleaf ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but Darkwing and Littlecloud had gotten a head start, and because she hadn't eaten, she didn't have enough energy. She felt herself gradually slowing, and desperately pushed herself to speed up to no avail.

Thunder rumbled in the sky; the sky was gray and cloudy. Suddenly rain pelted her, and she narrowed her eyes to see through the wet drops of rain.

She could make out Darkwing's pitch-black pelt in the greenery, and she tried to cry out at him to slow down, but before she could, a furious snarl sounded behind her, and a large force pinned her down. Blackfoot.

Claws pierced through her skin, and she yowled in agony. She saw Darkwing slow in his speedy retreat, and glance behind his shoulder, eyes widening in horror. "Newleaf!" he yelled, whipping around and coming toward her.

"No!" she cried out, "Don't come for me! Save yourself!"

Darkwing faltered for a moment, staring at Newleaf with his dark eyes helplessly (as if _he_ were the one pinned down by Blackfoot!), but he leapt at Blackfoot, hissing. He barreled into the deputy, and Blackfoot loosened his hold on Newleaf. She stumbled away, dazed, head spinning.

"Go!" yowled her friend, slashing at the deputy, fur fluffed up in fear despite the downpour, "Run, Newleaf!"

She didn't need to be told twice. She dashed away, her energy restored to the fullest so she ran faster than she ever had before in her life, following Littlecloud's scent trail. Darkwing appeared next to her, wincing in pain. One of his ears was torn, and blood trickled down his neck, being washed away by the rain. He still didn't complain.

His breath puffed out; he was trying to keep up with Newleaf. She was much quicker than him, so she knew he was straining himself to go as fast as her. Rain still pelted down, making her drenched fur heavy with water.

"You… are… faster… than a… WindClan cat," he wheezed, blinking away the raindrops from his eyes.

She didn't reply, only focused on following Littlecloud's trail. She tried to speed up, but she couldn't without leaving Darkwing in the dust. Finally her brother's tabby pelt came in sight, a blur, as it was in the distance, and she slowed, catching her breath, and allowing Darkwing to catch his.

She glared at Darkwing. "Why didn't you do what I said and leave? You could've killed yourself trying to save me."

"I couldn't leave you," he met her gaze steadily, his blue eyes soft. "And I almost kill myself every time I save you –or_ try_ to save you."

He cracked a tiny grin at her, clearly recalling the time she almost drowned.

"You must get tired of rescuing me all the time," she said bitterly, blinking water from her eyes. "It seems that's all you do."

"I like rescuing you," he soothed.

"Yeah," she huffed, "You rescue me because I'm a useless ball of fur."

"No," Darkwing insisted. "You're not useless. You're the most useful cat I know."

_Sure I am. That's why we're in this mess, isn't it? Because I'm useful. _She shrugged and sped up, not wanting to continue this conversation with Darkwing. Littlecloud met them eagerly, and nodded to the east, where they'd come from. "Let's backtrack and go to our hiding spot."

"First things first," Newleaf snapped. "Why did you two fight each other? I specifically told you _not_ to do that. Many times."

"We had to make it convincing," Darkwing argued, frowning.

"Convincing? That two friends wanted to kill each other? Well, I can say you did. Just –I don't want you to do anything like that again. I thought…" Newleaf's eyes pricked, stinging with unspilled tears. She looked away. "I thought one of you would die."

"We won't," Littlecloud promised. "I'm sorry. But you know we'd never kill each other."

"We did what you would've done," said Darkwing.

"Really? I was screaming at you to stop. I was _crying_, for StarClan's sake!" She snapped. "So if I was upset like that, do you think I would've done it?"

"I'm sorry," Darkwing mewed softly. "I know you never cry. I know it must've been hard for you to see. It was hard for us to do."

She turned away pointedly, and mewed instead, "Come on. We have to stay ahead of the patrol."

* * *

They wove a confusing trail as they backtracked and dove into their hiding spot before even scenting the outside of it. The rain had stopped not long ago, and they were still soaked, so they shook their fur dry before entering the den. A furious snarl made the three of them jump, but as their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hollow tree trunk.

Orange eyes glared in the blackness, and Newleaf scented a familiar scent, now overlaid with the smell of ThunderClan, but faint traces of ShadowClan hung in her pelt.

"Yellowfang!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Newpaw," the ill-tempered old medicine cat sniffed. "Littlepaw. Darkpaw."

"Newleaf, Littlecloud and Darkwing now," she corrected her gently.

"Of course," Yellowfang muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"What are_ you_ doing here?" Darkwing flashed back. "I recall Brokenstar banishing you."

"For something she didn't do!" Newleaf leapt to the defense of Yellowfang. "Yellowfang is a friend, and if she's here, I wonder why."

"On ThunderClan business," the old medicine cat mewed stiffly. "Clawface stole some kits. I come to take them back."

"Oh, good!" relief flooded over her. "Are you the only ThunderClan cat here?"

"I'm afraid so. Now why are you here?"

"Brokenstar wants to kill us. We ran away from him. We need help." Newleaf pleaded, her blue eyes wide.

"I will help you," promised Yellowfang. "But you must leave now! I scent ThunderClan cats approaching."

"But where will we go?" demanded Newleaf, eyes narrowed.

"Go back to camp," she ordered the three young warriors.

"But–" Newleaf was cut off by Yellowfang. She couldn't go back to camp! She'd die the moment Brokenstar saw her! It wasn't fair! How could Yellowfang say that they would be safe if they went to camp? Brokenstar and Blackfoot were still out for her blood.

"Just go. I promise you that you will not die. You never know; you may find an unexpected ally."

* * *

Newleaf led Littlecloud and Darkwing away, looking for another place to hide instead of following Yellowfang's directions. How were they supposed to live if they were found by Brokenstar or Blackfoot? They'd be murdered on the spot. And what was this nonsense about an unexpected ally?

They tread in silence, scenting for a place to hide and –

"There you are!" said a stern voice.

Marshypool burst from the bushes. "Brokenstar was lying when he told you I wouldn't be a good enough spy."

"You!" snarled Newleaf, already assuming battle-stance, fur bristled, claws unsheathed. Her eyes flashed like the lightning in the sky, warning Marhypool that she shouldfn't come to close... or else. "What do you want, Marshypool? Are you going to kill us yourself? You can try, but you'll never succeed."

But Marshypool's fur wasn't fluffed out; her claws were sheathed. "I'm not going to do that," she replied in a soft mew, "I come under truce. Will you accept my offering of truce?"

"You're talking of truce now?" asked Newleaf in disbelief. "Last night you wanted to kill me!"

"That's right," agreed Darkwing, coming to stand next to Newleaf. His fur was still flat, but that could change on whatever Marshypool did or said. His dark eyes gazed at their traitor steadily, but Newleaf knew anger could flare up in them in a milisecond.

"I was wrong," the pretty tabby admitted, hanging her head. "When I saw what Brokenstar was going to do to you… I knew I was wrong. He wanted me to kill you. And I saw you, on top of the Boulderpile and Littlecloud and Darkwing fighting each other… I knew I couldn't do it. I'm sorry for betraying you."

Newleaf stared at her former friend and laughed harshly. "I can't believe you think I'm that stupid. You want me to trust you? You just betrayed me last night. You really think you can change in an instant?"

"You can," insisted Marshypool passionately, "_I_ did. I want to help you overthrow Brokenstar. He was using me."

"_You_ chose it," she said briskly, turning away from Marshypool, jet-black tail lashing. "Not me. You have to deal with it yourself."

"Please!" Marshypool pleaded. "I'm sorry."

Guilt sparked within her. Was it really Marshypool's fault? Perhaps Brokenstar was more successful at brainwashing her former friend than she, Littlecloud, and Darkwing. Newleaf glanced at Marshypool and gritted her teeth, angry at herself. "I don't trust you. I probably won't ever again. But I'll let you help. And, Marshypool, if I find you're betraying us again, that's it, do you understand?"

"Yes, Newleaf," she nodded.

She knew she hadn't really explained what she'd do to Marshypool if she was spying for Brokenstar, but it was obvious, really; Newleaf would have made a lifelong enemy. An enemy, but she most certainly didn't want to _kill _Marshypool. She wasn't sure if she could if she wanted to. But if she found Marshypool was doing undercover work for Brokenstar, Newleaf would make sure she didn't see the tabby's face ever again.

"Now," she continued, "We plan."

* * *

"I have an idea," Marshypool spoke, breaking into what Newleaf was about to suggest. Darkwing glanced at the tabby she-cat warily, sitting protectively next to Newleaf in case Marshypool would suddenly attack. Newleaf scowled at him to let him know she was annoyed with this. Was she not capable of defending herself if Marshypool attacked?

Newleaf restrained her annoyance at Darkwing and Marshypool, and asked coolly, "Oh? And what might your plan be?"

Littlecloud was looking at Marshypool with suspicion. "Newleaf always has the best plans."

"It's okay," she mewed to her littermate calmly but with thorns in her words, "I'm interested in what she has to say. She was, after all, allied with Brokenstar. She might have useful information."

"Thank you," Marshypool dipped her head to Newleaf, clearly in unease in the midst of the three cats she had betrayed. "Brokenstar's in camp now, along with Blackfoot. Clawface arrived with the ThunderClan kits not too long ago. ThunderClan will be here at any moment, so the camp will be ready. If somehow we can put that to use…"

"ThunderClan is already here," Newleaf informed her.

"How do you know?"

She hesitated. She wasn't sure whether or not to tell Marshypool about Yellowfang. She still didn't trust her. At all. But they were working together, so it had to count for something. "We came across Yellowfang."

The brown tabby hardly registered her surprise. "Okay. So we can use her as a distraction. While she tries to get the kits back for ThunderClan, we can drive out Brokenstar."

"That's good," agreed Newleaf, "I couldn't have thought of a better plan. Now, how do we set in into action? It can't only be the four of us."

"Won't Foxfur and Flintfang help? Maybe Nightpelt and Ashfur? Dawncloud? Swanwing?" asked Marshypool.

"Foxfur and Flintfang we can count on," said Newleaf, "As well as my parents, Nightpelt and Dawncloud. Ashfur… maybe…"

"Not even I am sure about Swanwing," sighed Darkwing sadly. "And she's my own mother."

_Count us in, too, _said Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw. _We also want vengeance. It is time to bring the bright, warm newleaf to ShadowClan's bleak leaf-bare. _

"Okay," said Newleaf. "We should get started."

**I think Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw added a nice touch to it, don't you think? Oh, and rememeber there also was an Ashfur in ShadowClan too! Back in the very first book...**

**Anyway, I have a poll on my profile on who your favorite characters for this story are, but if you don't want to go to my profile, you can say it here in a review also.**

**_Goldenfeather_: *glares at Goldenfeather* Shame on you not reviewing until now! Nah, kidding it's okay. At least you reviewed! Thank you! You know I also think I've been getting better. You can see that definately in this story. I started writing it early last year, but I didn't have a fanfiction account yet, so I posted it once I did, and realized I've really been growing in my writing style. **

**_Bubblewhisper_: I know. But it's okay now! Littlecloud and Darkwing are still alive!**

_**IvyClan Moonblossom**_**: Thank you for all of your fantastic reviews! To give away plushies, all you have to do is say: you get a *insert character's name here*plushie!**

_**PurpleVNeck**_**: YEAH! I'm in the Darkwing FanClub! Who knows if Firepaw/heart will save the day? Maybe Newleaf's plan will be ****sabotaged? I wonder how she'll like that...**

_**Queen Of The Pens**_**: Is the suspense still killing you?**

_**Shimmerheart**_**: *blinks in surprise* Sorry, I'm just not so used to enthusiastic greetings like that. But I LOVE them, because they always surprise me like that. Please, call me Coqui, though. "Coqui's Song" sounds too formal. But thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you were left dumb-struck. That's a good thing. *Grins***

**Everyone else: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	35. Driven Away

**Okay, I'm updating! This is an EXTREMELY long chapter, but only because I wasn't that sure how to break it into smaller chunks, as in, more chapters. But oh, well. At least you get a long chapter! Next one might not be so extensive.**

**Anyway, I just got back after a little trip to Boston! It was fun! I kept wanting to wear a NY Yankees cap just to see what would happen to me. I didn't though. I didn't want to die young. One of the highlights was seeing Fenway Park and after leaving Boston, we passed through Manhattan! I swear, I'm going to live in New York City one day. I was the only person on the bus nearly screeching with excitement, jumping up and down, taking pictures. And that was only seeing the SKYLINE. Think of what would happen if I were actually IN THE CITY. You do NOT want to be around me while I'm in NYC. I'm even more insane than usual over there.**

**Right, the story. I was ranting about New York City and I nearly forgot the reason why I was here. *Shakes head in embarrassment***

**Thank you to reviewers: Ivyclan moonblossom, Shimmerheart, Queen Of The Pens, Bubblewhisper, LightningstormZero, Pencil37, and Goldenfeather**

Chapter Thirty-Four

_Deep azure, cobalt, amber, and silvery gray _eyesgazed silently at the inside of the ShadowClan camp, hidden by shadows. Brokenstar was nowhere to be seen, but Blackfoot was pacing about the camp issuing orders, glaring at Foxfur and Flintfang. They stared back defiantly.

"Keep the ThunderClan kits hidden," ordered Blackfoot. "We can't have ThunderClan taking them without a fight. We will keep them in the end."

"Come on," whispered Newleaf to her companions as they hid behind the outer camp wall. "We have to get to the elders' den."

The other three nodded wordlessly and followed her, quiet as shadows in the night. She crept slowly to the elders' den which held her parents as well as Ashfur, her parents' friend.

The four poked their heads in; surprised some other cat had beaten them to the punch. Had she really taken so much time interrogating Marshypool? Yellowfang looked back in shock, and narrowed her eyes. "I told you three to go to the ShadowClan camp."

"I'm sorry," said Newleaf, "But do you hear Blackfoot? It isn't safe. If we were to go there, no doubt he'd kill us as soon as looked at us."

Marshypool glanced at her, surprise in her clear gray eyes, and she felt hot with embarrassment. _Us? _Newleaf raged at herself. Since when Marshypool been included in her 'us'? She didn't still didn't trust the tabby enough to include her completely in her group.

"Me, Darkwing and Littlecloud, I mean." She quickly amended.

"Me too," mewed Marshypool, tail flicking in irritation. "After I pulled that stunt to save you time back in the camp, he told me it's best I go find you and wait for Blackfoot to kill us all, because I was as good as dead after openly betraying him like that."

_Sure,_ Newleaf thought, rolling her eyes. _Like I'll believe that._

"I don't know the whole story that's going on here," said Yellowfang, orange eyes narrowed, "but I suppose you all should come with us. I have a plan to rid ShadowClan of Brokenstar's tyranny once and for all. You can help, if you want."

"But I have a plan," objected Newleaf, anger sparking inside her. But one look at Yellowfang and she knew: they had the exact same plan to get rid of Brokenstar. It was better they do it together, where they could look out for each other, than to do it separately as competitors. She dipped her head. "Very well, Yellowfang, We'll follow you. You and your ThunderClan allies."

_That's right, _said Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw in her ears._ Accept Yellowfang's help. That is the only way._

"We need their help, do you think?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Nightpelt broke away from the other two elders to pad next to Newleaf as they sped through the marshland of ShadowClan territory. Her mother, Dawncloud, glanced at her softly with the love of a mother to a kit as her father came in tow beside her.

"So Newleaf," meowed Nightpelt, "We haven't spoken or spent time together for some time."

"A few moons," she agreed, "but I understand. You're a busy warrior. You shouldn't have to bother with a kit like me."

Nightpelt shook his head. "No. It wasn't that. I wasn't allowed to see you. Did you see Dawncloud much during your training?"

She hesitated. "Not much," she admitted. "Are you saying that is also one of Brokenstar's rules? Parents can't be with their kits while training?"

"He thinks parents make the kits soft and vulnerable," he growled. "He's wrong. We make you stronger."

"Yeah."

Nightpelt nudged her affectionately. "Don't worry, Newleaf. We'll make Brokenstar run farther away than WindClan."

"I'm not worrying," she muttered under her breath, but gazed up at her father with wide eyes. How she loved her father! It felt so good to be padding by him again, just like she used to when she was –no. She still was a kit. Or was she? She counted the moons in her head… yes… she should be nearly apprentice age by now. She was almost six moons old, perhaps in half a moon she would be six moons…

"Hush now," hissed Yellowfang. "We must be quiet. We must catch the ThunderClan cats by surprise."

They went on in silence, hidden by the shadows of the night.

Newleaf could see the ThunderClan rescue part clearly. She could see a large white tom, a dark silver-and-black tabby tom, a small mousy brown she-cat, a brown tabby tom, and a gray she-cat, as well as the apprentices Firepaw and Graypaw she'd seen at her first Gathering.

_These two must do everything together, _she thought. Then she felt hypocritical. Didn't she have her own posse, too? Darkwing and Littlecloud would follow her farther than the Moonstone if she told them to. Well, sometimes. She remembered how they'd disobeyed her direct orders back at the ShadowClan camp when she told them not to attack each other. They'd said it was for good cause. She couldn't help but respect them for their decision, especially when it had a ring of truth.

"She will come back," Firepaw was insisting.

Yellowfang slipped out of the shadows behind the fiery apprentice. "Well said, young Firepaw."

The ThunderClan cats jumped in surprise, and Firepaw turned and gapped.

"You're not the only one who can sneak up on someone. Remember the day we met? You were looking in the wrong direction that time too."

Nightpelt, Dawncloud, and Ashfur followed Yellowfang, settling themselves calmly by Yellowfang. Newleaf lashed her tail, signaling to stay behind the ash tree until she was sure the ThunderClan cats would be no threat to them.

The four young ShadowClan warriors –if they could be called warriors– watched in silence as both the cats from either Clan spoke and Yellowfang gave introductions.

Whitestorm, the large white tom, licked his chest to smooth his fur. "You are clearly skilled warriors if you have managed to creep up on us like that. But are there enough of you?"

"I think so," announced Newleaf, striding out of the ash tree's shadow, followed closely by her companions. She dipped her head respectfully to Whitestorm, who was obviously the most senior warrior in the ThunderClan patrol. She glanced at Yellowfang. "I hope you haven't forgotten about us."

Yellowfang smiled and shook her head.

"Who are you?" asked Firepaw. "You look… familiar."

"I am Newleaf," she replied. "I think you might've seen me at the Gathering. I'm sure you've met my brother, Littlecloud too." She nodded to her littermate, and stood and padded to Darkwing, brushing her friend's black pelt. "This is my friend Darkwing."

"And I'm Marshypool," said the pretty brown tabby. "I'm –er I'm with them."

"You four are so small…" Whitestorm said thoughtfully.

Newleaf took no offense. "I'm five and a half moons, like Littlecloud, and Darkwing and Marshypool are six moons."

"We aren't littermates," clarified Darkwing. "All my littermates died in the Battle of WindClan."

"Mine as well," nodded Marshypool. "Newleaf and Littlecloud are lucky. They at least have each other."

Seeing the doubt in Whitestorm's eyes, Yellowfang added, "But they're strong. They are among the only kitten-warriors to survive driving out WindClan. I realize that battle was unjust, but our Clan suffered too, and it was a fierce battle. Many cats died. These four didn't. We need them."

Whitestorm looked far from convinced, but eventually he nodded. "Very well."

From then on they schemed, and once Yellowfang had presented her plan, the cats, both ThunderClan and ShadowClan nodded in approval.

"Then let's go," said Yellowfang.

* * *

"Why aren't you going with Yellowfang?" whispered Firepaw beside her. Newleaf found his insane curiosity irritating, but she felt like a hypocrite once again. Deep down, didn't she also share the same thirst for knowledge?

She told him about what had happened earlier that same evening, how she and her friends had gotten caught for taking kits back to RiverClan and being held prisoner until Brokenstar had decided to kill them outright.

"That's awful," he commented quietly. "I'm amazed that you, such a young cat, went through all this."

"Yep," she replied, claws digging in the cool grass, "and I'm ready for more."

_Don't be too irritated with Firepaw, Newleaf. He wants to help as much as you do. _Badgerpaw whispered.

_Really? I never noticed. _She thought back sarcastically.

In the camp, Nightpelt dipped his head slightly. Newleaf twitched her ear and turned to the ThunderClan cats. "That's my cue. Good luck."

She stalked inside the camp, Littlecloud, Darkwing, and Marshypool following close behind her like shadows. Newleaf, head and tail held high, let out an earsplitting caterwaul, marching in the camp quickly.

Brokenstar and the other cats whirled around in surprise. The ShadowClan leader narrowed his eyes, growling, skulking closer. "Well, you four. I'm surprised you were bold enough to come back. But it was not a wise decision."

Suddenly Yellowfang gave the signal for ThunderClan. The other Clan's patrol burst through the camp entrance, and the ShadowClan cats immediately went on defense. It didn't matter what was happening with Brokenstar; their camp was under attack by ThunderClan. Swanwing, the pitch-black she-cat that was Darkwing's mother, flung herself at Darkstripe, the ThunderClan warrior, with a furious shriek.

Darkwing watched his mother wrestle with the dark silver tabby and lunged, grabbing his mother's scruff, yowling, "No, Mom!"

"What are you doing, Darkwing?" she hissed at him. "These are ThunderClan invaders!"

Newleaf tensed as Darkwing explained in detail to his mother what was happening, but she didn't have time. Brokenstar was fighting Yellowfang. _No!_

She sprang for Brokenstar, and barreled into him, growling fiercely. Yellowfang stumbled away from the fight, shaking her head, but her orange eyes glared.

Brokenstar pinned her down, and she kicked upward to his belly with so much force, the ShadowClan leader wheezed in a breath, but he swiped his paw and landed a hard blow to her cheek. Hissing in rage, she struggled free, rearing back and lunged again and swiped at the leader's muzzle, her sharp claws digging deep into his cheek. Warm blood oozed from the new wound, wetting her paw, and Brokenstar snarled in fury, biting her scruff, dragging her down to the ground.

"I've tried to kill you too many times," the leader hissed in her ear menacingly. "Now it's time to finish you. Not even Blackfoot could do it. It's time to take matters into my own paws."

"Never," she growled, thrashing around in the dirt. "It's my time."

She lashed out, catching his ear while with her hind paws she kicked and scratched his belly fur, shrieking in rage. Newleaf managed to get free, and she backed away, shoulder burning from her earlier wound with him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Darkwing staring at her in amazement. He was close enough to be backup for her, his fur puffed up, claws unsheathed, but he didn't move toward them.

She couldn't focus on him, though. She lunged again for Brokenstar, but before she could catch him, Yellowfang attacked the ShadowClan leader. She glared at the young warrior with her orange eyes. "This is no fight for you."

Newleaf dipped her head respectfully and thrashed her tail angrily. She didn't reply, simply backed away from the battle and cast a quick glance around the ShadowClan camp. Graypaw and Firepaw were fighting… Whitestorm had Blackfoot pinned…. Dawncloud was battling Clawface… Nightpelt was helping Dawncloud… But there were many ShadowClan cats that were backing away from the ferocious battle, eyes clouded with confusion, as if they weren't quite sure which side they were on.

"Come on!" she yowled, trying to rally the bewildered cats. "Fight Brokenstar! He never truly cared about us anyway! He killed Brightflower's kits!"

"Lies!" howled Blackfoot, spitting at Whitestorm. "Don't listen to Newleaf! She's a traitor! We have been making ShadowClan the strongest it has ever been!"

"No!" to her surprise, it was Marshypool who spoke. "How many of you have been near death by starvation ever since Brokenstar became leader? Fight him! All he's done was drive out WindClan, killing my brothers and sisters in the process of doing so!"

The cats backed away more, fear and puzzlement clouding their gazes, shaking their heads as if to clear them. The cats became quiet, and suddenly Dawncloud's shriek pierced the air. "Firepaw! Watch out! Clawface is coming!"

The ginger tom whirled around to face Clawface, and they wrestled, becoming a writhing mass of teeth and claws. The battle thickened around her once more, so she couldn't see what was going on, but she knew by Yellowfang's and Brokenstar's yowls of fury they were still fighting one another.

She plunged into the thick of the battle, hoping for a fight. She saw Firepaw pin Clawface down, and his teeth were hovering above Clawface's throat… He was going to kill Clawface! As much as she despised the brown warrior, she wanted to drive Brokenstar and his followers out of ShadowClan without killing them.

Whitestorm lunged at Clawface, driving Firepaw away. The white warrior gave the ginger apprentice a stern look. "ThunderClan warriors do not need to kill unless they have to. We just need to let them know not to show their faces here again!"

Whitestorm chased Clawface off with a furious snarl after giving him a fierce bite that sent him screeching. All of Brokenstar's warriors had gone, Newleaf realized. Only Brokenstar remained, still battling Yellowfang, the cats formed a wide circle around them.

"I never thought you'd be harder to kill then my father!" hissed Brokenstar to Yellowfang.

The old medicine cat flinched as if he'd struck her, and Brokenstar took advantage of it, throwing her aside. "_You_ killed Raggedstar?"

"You found his body," he meowed coldly. "Didn't you recognize my fur between his claws? He was a soft and foolish leader. He deserved to die."

"No," both Newleaf and Yellowfang choked out.

The medicine cat looked up at the ShadowClan leader, arching her back. "And Brightflower's kits? Did they deserve to die too?"

_Yes! _Newleaf thought. Yellowfang knew he had killed them; this only confirmed what she had said earlier to the ShadowClan cats.

Brokenstar pinned down the old she-cat. "Those kits were weak. They would have been no use to ShadowClan. If I hadn't killed them, some other warrior would have."

At this new revelation, Brightflower gave a yowl of grief and fury, and the black-and-white queen began to stalk toward him, eyes glowing with the want for vengeance. Brokenstar ignored the fact that the ShadowClan queen was about to attack, and turned his attention back to Yellowfang. "I should've killed _you_ when I had the chance. It seems I must have some of my father's softness. I was a fool to let you leave ShadowClan alive!"

He lunged for her throat, but Firepaw was quicker. He leapt, landing on the leader's back, digging in his claws into Brokenstar's tabby fur, throwing him off Yellowfang.

The leader twisted in midair and glared at the ThunderClan apprentice. "Don't waste your time, apprentice! I've shared dreams with StarClan. You'll have to kill me nine times over before I join them. Do you really think you're strong enough to defeat me?"

_Perhaps not alone, but with me, Darkwing and Littlecloud helping. _She glanced at the bloodstained camp, setting her gaze at a brown tabby, gray eyes gleaming, claws digging into the ground. _Oh, and maybe Marshypool too._

But before she could give the signal for her friends and her ally to charge at the leader, the other ShadowClan cats stalked toward Brokenstar, eyes gleaming with fury and need for revenge, snarling in hatred. Newleaf saw, among them, the translucent shapes of Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw, their fur fluffed up. Squirrelpaw's grayish-brown tabby fur sparkled with stars, abd Badgerpaws black-and-white pelt glowed unnaturally. But no other cat seemed to notice them. Squirrelpaw caught her eye and nodded. Her deceased littermates were helping, just as they'd promised.

The ShadowClan leader realized he was outnumbered, and he nervously flicked his tail, crouching and backing away, his back rubbing the leaves of the dark bushes behind.

"This isn't over, apprentice," he growled to Firepaw. Then he locked his gaze to Newleaf. "Don't think even for a moment that you're safe, either, Newleaf. One day, you'll die by me. I swear to StarClan."

"Oh, go choke on a kittypet!" she snapped, fur bristling in anger, though she couldn't help feeling a prickle of fear spark inside her, but Squirrelpaw and Badgerpaw dipped their heads to her and the fear was washed away, replaced with a strong feeling of triumph. Brokenstar glared at her for a moment longer before vanishing into the night. _Good riddance._

**Okay, so please review and please check out my poll for this story on my profile! Also, I have another story for Warriors now if you hadn't already known about it. I keep forgeting to tell you guys that. Stupid me! It's called _Warmth of the Moon_ and you can find it on my profile (duh). It's about Scourge falling in love. Sort of, anyway. So if you like Scourge, check it out! I happen to love Scourge. I don't know why.**

**Oh, and guys, if you can find the time, I promised shimmerheart69 that I'd recommend her story to you, so here it is: please read Warriors: The Storm Book 1 Nightheart.**

**Oh, and she's not here right now, but please read PurpleVNeck's Pawn of the Stars! It is THE best Warriors fanfic I've read on this site. Even better than mine. :D**

**Have any of you guys read Sign of the Moon yet? **

_**Ivyclan Moonblossom: **_**Cool about Mexico, but I'm not Mexican, I've never been to Mexico, and I'm not sure when I'll finally be able to go there. It probably won't be for my birthday, though. **

_**Shimmerheart: **_**Oh, no! Please, I LOVE enthusiasic greetings. They make my world brighter. I'm just not used to them, is all. And, yeah, I've read your story so far. Wait -you know that! :)**

**_Queen Of The Pens_: Nah, maybe not. Who knows?**

**_Bubblewhisper_: Hey, I take no offense. I'm not Erin Hunter, and she herself admits she does a lot of mistakes in the books. **

_**LightningstormZero**_**: Yeah, I read it! It's really intense. That's all I'm gonna say, because I don't wanna post spoilers for people who haven't read it yet.**

_**Pencil: **_**It's okay. Don't worry about. BUT PLEASE UPDATE _GLAZING OVER_! ... Sorry about that little outburst...**

_**Goldenfeather: **_**Yellowfang to the rescue! YEAH!**

**Okay, bye! Please review! Click that blue button! Check out other awesome stories!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	36. Leadership?

**Hello again, people! I'm sorry for not updating earlier; I've been having problems with my Internet, AND my cat (erm, he had a cat cold along with his chronic breathing condition 'cause he's a Siamese, and that made for a life-threatening combination, but don't worry! The vet gave him some antibiotics, and they worked very well, so now my Tito is his old silly self. I'm happy about that) so... Anyway, as I said last chapter, this chapter's not as long, because there isn't much more action I can put in. Brokenstar's already gone, so this was all I could come up with. **

**Thanks to my awesome reviewers: Queen Of The Pens, IvyClan Moonblossom, Tangleflame, Fallenshadow962, and Shimmerheart69**

Chapter Thirty-Five

_A shocked silence spread out through_ the shattered Clan as they stared after Brokenstar. Newleaf kept her head high, proud to have succeeded, but other than her three followers, the ShadowClan cats kept together, eyes glazed, looking numb. _What happened? Am I missing something? Why aren't they celebrating?_

Nightpelt stood and nodded to the ThunderClan patrol that helped them. "Leave them. If they dare show their faces here again, ShadowClan will be strong enough by then to tackle them alone."

_We will,_ agreed Newleaf silently, hoping it was really true. _This hardship has made us all stronger._

"Come," Newleaf meowed, taking a step forward to the ThunderClan cats. "You have come here for your kits; I will show you to them."

"The kits!" Graypaw exclaimed behind her.

_No, mouse-brain, what do you think I'll show you to? The elders' den? _She thought, irritated.

The ThunderClan cats were thankful, though, and after Yellowfang had checked over them to make sure they weren't harmed, Nightpelt took a step toward them. "You helped ShadowClan rid itself of s brutal and dangerous leader, and we are grateful. But it is time you left our camp and returned to your own. I promise your hunting grounds will be free of ShadowClan warriors as long as we can find enough food in our own territory."

Whitestorm nodded to her father. "Hunt in peace for one moon, Nightpelt. ThunderClan knows you need time to rebuild your Clan." He turned to her former medicine cat. "And you, Yellowfang? Do you wish to return with us, or stay here with your old comrades?"

_Please stay here, _Newleaf found herself praying. _It's safe for Yellowfang to stay here now. Please stay._

Yellowfang gave her a small glance, as if trying to decide where she should go. Newleaf gazed up at her with hopeful eyes. Then the old medicine cat looked up at the white ThunderClan warrior. "I will make the journey back with you. You will need a medicine cat, for yourself and your kits."

_ThunderClan needs a medicine cat? _She wondered. _But if that's so, what happened to Spottedleaf? _She paused as a new thought occurred to her. Was it possible that…? Clawface had murdered Spottedleaf! She was sure of it. It was one of the things Brokenstar had mentioned to her. She sighed inwardly. _Very well, Yellowfang. Go to ThunderClan. They need you more than we. _

"Thank you," ThunderClan's senior warrior purred. He swayed his tail, signaling to the other Clan to leave. The patrol and Yellowfang followed him, but Newleaf caught up with Firepaw and Graypaw, who were at the back of the group of ThunderClan cats.

"Wait," she mewed as she padded quickly next to them. "I need to say something to you two before you leave ShadowClan's camp."

Firepaw twitched his ears. "What?"

"Thanks for helping us," she said, dipping her head to the two apprentices. "I know it came from my father, Nightpelt, but I am also grateful, and I wanted to tell you so myself."

"Brokenstar will not dare come back," replied Firepaw. e turne

"But if he does…" Newleaf didn't finish the thought, but instead stretched out her thorn-sharp claws as far as they could go.

She grinned, feeling in her element with apprentices. She may not have been a warrior for long, but under Brokenstar's rule, she felt as though a warrior's full responsibilities had dropped on her shoulders when she was only five moons old. It was too much. Joking around with Darkwing and Littlecloud helped, but really any apprentice could ease the tension that had set residence in her shoulders.

"Right," Graypaw nodded. "But now we have to go."

"Of course," she meowed, narrowing her eyes. "You wouldn't want to get left behind. But good hunting. I hope you two get your warrior names soon. It shouldn't be long, by the looks of you two."

"Thank you," the two apprentices answered, and sped up to catch up to the ThunderClan cats.

Newleaf skidded to a halt before the entrance of the camp, staring after them. Darkwing's pelt brushed hers, and Littlecloud came up on her other side. Nightpelt yowled for them, and the three young warriors padded back to the clearing.

Thinking it was long enough to wait for this moment, Newleaf threw her head up and yowled in triumph like a wolf howling to the moon. Darkwing, Littlecloud, and Marshypool joined in, and soon all of ShadowClan was yowling proudly to StarClan. _We did it! We got rid of Brokenstar!_

The yowling died down as more and more cats realized that though this was a great moment for their Clan, they still had no leader. Confusion grew, and the cats muttered with worried glanced at each other.

"Who will be leader now?" asked Brightflower, eyes shining with worry.

"The deputy would replace the leader," agreed Flintfang, "but we have no deputy now either."

Newleaf twitched her ears in annoyance. This was only a minor concern after their ordeal with Brokenstar. This new crisis could be easily fixed. Darkwing seemed to agree with her, because he lashed his tail and snorted.

"Stop, stop!" meowed Runningnose. "Perhaps StarClan will tell me in a dream."

"Are you going to the Moonstone, then?" Foxfur asked.

"No," he replied.

"Before we go on wondering when StarClan will send us the sign, why don't we _choose_ a leader?" Newleaf piped up. "Is there any cat ready to take on the responsibility of leadership right now and do it rightly and fairly?"

"You can't be too young," agreed Foxfur, "and you must have had at least one apprentice."

Darkwing gave Newleaf an affectionate nudge. "If we were older, and you've had an apprentice, I bet you'd be a great leader," he teased.

She cuffed his ear, amused. "A great leader with a great name."

"New_star_," he purred. "It's not so bad. Now Darkstar –_that _sounds weird. "

"Not weirder than Newstar," she objected. "I'd rather keep my name. I'm not sure if I'd want to be leader."

"Of course you would," said Darkwing. "_I_ do."

"Whatever," she flicked her tail. "We need to find a _real_ leader."

All the cats had started to argue among themselves, saying they should be the leader. Newleaf tensed as she saw claws unsheathing, fur bristling, snarls and hisses exchanged. "Stop!" she yowled. "We need to choose, not fight among ourselves!"

"She's right," Marshypool meowed loudly. "Who's ready to take on the leadership?"

Nightpelt was watching with half-closed eyes, but now he padded forward. "I could be leader."

Many cats narrowed their eyes, but there was no arrogance in his tone. It was completely meek, his voice.

"But you're an elder," objected Marshpelt, the warrior who had been Squirrelpaw's mentor. "Are you sure you can lead us?"

"Of course!" Newleaf stated snappily. "And he's no elder! He's a senior warrior! He'll be a fine leader!"

"He sure will," Dawncloud mewed, gazing affectionately at her mate.

Darkwing, Littlecloud, Ashfur, Cinderfur, and Marshypool muttered agreement.

"So we are agreed?" Runningnose asked. "Nightpelt is to be our new leader?"

The ShadowClan cats all nodded. "Agreed!"

"I am very honored," Nightpelt dipped his head. "I promise I will try to make ShadowClan as strong and prosperous as when Raggedstar was leader –perhaps even more so."

"Nightpelt! Nightpelt!" Newleaf yowled, and ShadowClan joined in her joyful welcome.

"Nightpelt! Nightpelt! Nightpelt! Nightpelt!"

"Thank you," the new ShadowClan leader mewed.

"When will you go to Highstones?" asked Foxfur. "You need to get your nine lives and your name!"

Nightpelt turned to answer Foxfur's question. "Not yet. We have much work to do! First, I'll start with the apprentices."

"We have to be apprentices again?" asked Newleaf, shocked. "But we've finished training! And we have our warrior names!"

"Don't worry," Nightpelt replied. "You don't have to be apprentices again, but you still need some extra training. You've only had two moons of training. Fortunately you're almost six moons now, so you can be trained more decently."

Her fur began to lie flat at her father's words, and she dipped her head to him. "Very well."

"And our two newest apprentices, Shiverpaw and Sparrowpaw are too young to be trained. They will keep their apprentice names, but they must go back to the nursery." He ordered. "That is all for now. It is late, and we all need rest."

Nightpelt turned to the leader's den and padded away, Dawncloud following him closely, purring. Happy that her parent had not grown apart, Newleaf turned to the warriors' den, grateful that she didn't have to sleep in that dreadful hole again tonight.

She curled up in her old nest, wondering what ShadowClan would be like now her father was leader. He'd vowed to do the best he could to bring another golden age to ShadowClan, with peace instead of war, where apprentices could train without threat of enemies and kits could rest and play peacefully, but she knew that would take a long time and be very hard work for the new leader.

But Nightpelt could do it. He was a strong cat, wise. He knew what to do to make ShadowClan whole again. Newleaf had faith in her father.

Darkwing settled down next to her and sighed in content. "We did it."

"Yes," she agreed wearily. "We did.

She smiled and closed her eyes, beginning to purr loudly. She knew now she could rest easily, without the threat of Blackfoot, Clawface or Brokenstar. She fell into a deep, deep sleep.

_Newleaf is near,_ Squirrelpaw whispered in her sleeping ears. _It will soon be upon us._

**Did I not tell you it was short? Anyway, I've been reading around the _Warriors_ stories recently. Some are really amazing. Some are... well, suckish, no offense to ANYONE who writes suckish stories... Did you know there are more than 10,000 _Warriors_ stories on this site? I'll never be able to read them all! Hahaha. **

**Anyway, seriously, PLEASE check out _Warmth of the Moon_. It's very lonely right now. :(**

**_Queen Of The Pens_: Everything is more nature-y than NYC! I still love it. :)**

_**IvyClan Moonblossom**_**: I will promote it once you work on it a tiny bit more. Take my advice on it; you'll get better!**

_**Tangleflame**_**: Thank you for that! I suppose it IS quite amazing, isn't it?**

_**Fallenshadow**_**: Don't hurt yourself over it! It's all right! **

_**Shimmerheart**_**: Well, I did it intentionaly, of course. I had _Into the Wild_ near me the entire chapter, the same with this chapter. *shrugs***

**Anyway, please review!**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	37. Full Moon

**Okay, so I'm updating, though you guys gave me very little reviews last chapter. :(**

**Still, I thank my wonderful reviewers: Queen Of The Pens, fallenshadow962, Tangleflame, S. Elise, and Shimmerheart69**

Chapter Thirty-Six

_The days after Brokenstar were cold_, so cold Newleaf could deny it no more: leaf-bare was near, almost upon to the Clans. However cold the weather was, the ShadowClan camp was as warm as greenleaf. The cats together worked hard to maintain the borders, and Nightpelt had done well to reorganize the apprentice training program as well as assign more hunting patrols for the Clan.

All the cats of ShadowClan agreed that no other cat was fit for the job; Nightpelt had already apprenticed Oakpaw to Wetfoot and Brownpaw to Stumpytail, moved the elders' den back into the camp, appointed Cinderfur as deputy, and was rebuilding the camp walls in addition to keeping up with patrols and hunting parties. The Clan was becoming more full-fed than it had been in moons, despite the leaf-bare approaching the forest like cats stalking prey.

Other than what the ShadowClan cats believed, the sign Runningnose had been waiting for came, and indeed Nightpelt was the cat StarClan had chosen for the next ShadowClan leader. He had said that Nightpelt's fur was glimmering with stars like the night sky.

Foxfur took Newleaf out occasionally to teach her more useful hunting techniques than the ones she had originally taught her while Brokenstar was leader. Newleaf found herself to be a skilled hunter, and the fighting methods Foxfur showed her quickly became increasingly difficult, even for Newleaf, who was an exceptional fighter.

Now at six moons old, she realized that she had grown. She was still small, of course, but she didn't tire nearly as easily as she used to.

Today, she was padding back to the ShadowClan camp, purring at a joke Darkwing had made. Foxfur was more quiet, and Newleaf could not help noticing that her mentor, for Foxfur was still her mentor though she was a warrior with all the rights a warriors had, Foxfur was getting close to moving into the nursery. _Her kits will make ShadowClan stronger._

"The Gathering's tomorrow," announced Foxfur finally.

She nodded. "Will I be able to go?"

"Of course, but I'm not coming."

"Why?" asked Newleaf, and Darkwing echoed her question.

Foxfur smiled at her warmly. "I'm moving into the nursery. I figure you've had enough training, and even if you didn't, Nightpelt, Flintfang, or Redwillow could help."

"Nightpelt's too busy with Clan affairs," muttered Newleaf. "Flintfang will be too busy looking after you, and your sister Redwillow is Darkwing's mentor."

Her mentor sighed in exasperation. "You know Nightpelt is doing well as leader."

"No excuse for Flintfang or Redwillow, though," she noticed. "I'll be fine, Foxfur. I don't need much more training anyway. Darkwing can show me what he learns."

Foxfur twitched an ear in acknowledgement, but didn't reply, and Darkwing gave her a sideways glance as if to say, _And who said that?_

The rest of the way home, the three cats treaded in silence, Newleaf occasionally shivering of cold. Her fur was still kit-soft, still somewhat thin. She was sure that her fur would grow thicker as leaf-bare advanced. She heard a rustle in the leaves of the bushes; she flicked her tail and went to pursue it as she scented mouse.

She hid in the shadows as Foxfur had taught her, skulking, taunting the mouse. Her blue eyes glinted in the shadow as she stalked it, quiet as the mouse itself. It scuttled on a tree root, and she ducked down, staring at the mouse with her narrowed eyes. She lunged, grabbing the mouse between her two paws and killed it with a swift bite to the throat.

"Nice!" Darkwing complimented her.

"Very good." purred Foxfur.

Newleaf nodded and raced back to them, and followed them to the ShadowClan camp entrance. She carried the fresh-kill back to the fresh-kill pile –which was filled with recently killed prey and not crowfood, as it had been under Brokenstar's rule. She looked at the pile of plentiful prey and smiled. The Clan was thriving now. She left her mouse in the pile and took a frog for herself.

Darkwing and Littlecloud joined her as the sun set, both eating beside her. Marshypool approached them with a mouse; Newleaf knew it was the one she had caught. Ever since she had helped Newleaf, Littlecloud and Darkwing, the tensions between them had eased, but Marshypool still had not earned the three cats' full trust.

After supper, the four cats shared tongues, and Newleaf was very happy to realize, not for the first time, that ShadowClan was free.

* * *

Newleaf stepped into a pool of moonlight as she raced after the cats going to the Gathering. Darkwing, Littlecloud, and Marshypool were among them, as well as Oakpaw. Flintfang, Swanwing, Dawncloud, Tallpoppy, Wetfoot, and of course Runningnose were also in the Gathering party.

As they sprinted into the clearing surrounded by the four oaks, Newleaf was surprised to find that the ShadowClan party was the only one. _We're early._

The Clan settled down, and soon a chorus of yowling announced the arrival of RiverClan. The ShadowClan cats weaved among the RiverClan cats, sharing tongues and gossiping. Soon ThunderClan too arrived, and Newleaf twitched an ear as she recognized Firepaw and Graypaw. They held themselves with a greater dignity than before, so they must have been made warriors.

She mewed a greeting to them as they passed, and they boasted about their warrior names.

"Fireheart and Graystripe," she mused. "I can't say I would've chosen better."

Graystripe twitched his whiskers in amusement, but they meowed a polite farewell and went on to speak to Wetfoot and Oakpaw.

Soon the call for the start of the Gathering rang through the trees, and all the cats quieted and looked up to the Great Rock. Newleaf felt a warm glow of pride as she watched her father standing up with great dignity on the rock, next to Crookedstar and Bluestar.

It was Bluestar who opened the Gathering formally. "ThunderClan bring to this Gathering their new medicine cat, Yellowfang." The ThunderClan leader paused as all cats gazed at Yellowfang, Newleaf purring loudly. Though she hadn't known the old she-cat long, she found there was a strong bond between them. Even if Yellowfang hadn't wanted to rejoin ShadowClan, she was happy the old medicine cat had found a Clan she felt loyalty to and was content to be in. The blue-gray she-cat continued, "We also bring two newly named warriors –Fireheart and Graystripe."

Bluestar stepped back, and Nightpelt brushed her fur as he came forward to address all the cats. "I, Nightpelt, have taken over the leadership of ShadowClan," he announced, head held high. "Our former leader, Brokenstar, broke the warrior code and we were forced to chase him out."

He didn't thank the ThunderClan cats outwardly, but he glanced at Bluestar meaningfully, and she nodded ever so slightly. He went on to say, "The spirits of our warrior ancestors have spoken to Runningnose and chosen me as leader. I have not yet traveled to Mothermouth to receive my nine lives, but I will make the journey tomorrow while the moon is still full. After my vigil at the Moonstone, I will be known as Nightstar."

"Where is Brokenstar now?" asked a white ThunderClan queen to Nightpelt.

He replied patiently, his tail swaying. "I think we can assume that he has left the forest with the other banished warriors. He knows it would be dangerous to try to return."

Nightpelt then stepped back and let Crookedstar speak. "Let's hope Brokenstar has had the sense to leave the forest for good. His greed for territory threatened us all." Crookedstar paused as he heard yowls of agreement from both RiverClan and ThunderClan. ShadowClan as well howled, but less heartedly. "While Brokenstar was ShadowClan's leader, I allowed him to hunt in our river. But now ShadowClan has a new leader, and so this agreement can no longer stand. The prey in our river is RiverClan's alone."

"It should be," muttered Newleaf, tail lashing as she remembered the terror of being underwater, needing to breathe air but breathing in water instead. "I almost drowned there anyway. I have no concern for the river."

"Your father doesn't think so," murmured Darkwing beside her, and she looked to see that he was right: Nightpelt's fur was bristling. Her own neck fur began to prickle. Surely her father didn't think they needed the river for fish, did he?

She unsheathed her claws in anger and started to pull out grass stalks as her father argued for hunting rights in the river. Just because Nightpelt was her father and her leader didn't mean she agreed with everything he said or did.

Bluestar was the peacemaker as always: she made Nightpelt see sense, and her father's fur flattened. "You won't scent us, Crookedstar," he promised. "Bluestar was right –we don't need your fish. After all, we have the uplands to hunt in, now that WindClan has gone."

_Just one disagreement after another, isn't it, Nightpelt? _thought Newleaf to her father in annoyance as Bluestar argued with the two other leaders that WindClan must return. She growled, deep in her throat, but so softly no other cat could hear it, not even Darkwing's sensitive ears. _Don't you see WindClan has to come back?_

Nightpelt closed his eyes at Bluestar's argument, and finally he agreed, opening is eyes and nodding. "Very well, Bluestar. We will allow WindClan to return."

"Two of us have agreed, Crookedstar," announced Bluestar, and Crookedstar looked away angrily. "WindClan must be found and brought home. Until then, no Clan should hunt in their territory."

She wondered why Crookedstar had fought so hard to hunt in the moorland. The river was full of fish, and they could also catch forest prey; RiverClan were by far the most well-fed Clan in the forest. Why did they need even more territory so they could stuff themselves? She agreed with Bluestar; WindClan had to be brought back. Newleaf wondered how they would do that.

The Gathering broke up, and Newleaf, with a small glance back at the clearing, full of cats, followed ShadowClan into the bushes. She would have to tell Foxfur about this Gathering. Nightpelt was allowing WindClan to return, and so far, there'd been no sightings of Brokenstar in the other Clans. That meant that he'd left. Hopefully for good, because if she ever saw that crowfood-eating piece of fox-dung again, she was sure that she'd be old enough to be more than capable of flaying his skin from the camp to Highstones.

**So please, please review. I stress it. Also, I recommend S. Elise's stories. Both of them. They're really good.**

**_Queen Of The Pens_: I'm still not done. I'll have to do a big time-skip, though. And you recommended The Hunger Games to me; I recommend the Silverwing Trilogy by Kenneth Oppel to you. I hope you like bats. ;)**

_**Fallenshadow**_**: I think that one letter in a chapter is against the regulations of Fanfiction... how strange...**

_**Tangleflame**_**: Why, thank you. Hope it continues to be amazing. :)**

_**S. Elise**_**:****Again, thank you! You're writing is quite amazing as well.**

_**Shimmerheart**_**: Don't worry about it. And yeah, I'm aware it was boring. You know the Story Arch, right? This is now the beginning of the falling action. I've only three or four chapters in me, as well as an epilogue.**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	38. Arguments

**Hola! Waz up? I'm updating again! WARNING: this chapter is really bad. I rushed it, okay? I just... don't like this chapter. Whatever.**

**THANK YOU TO REVIEWERS: S. Elise, Whitestar17, Tangleflame, Queen Of The Pens, Pencil37, and Icethroat21**

Chapter Thirty-Seven

_The moon glinting in the cold night, _Newleaf hurried to her father's side as they returned to the ShadowClan camp. She tried to wait patiently as he spoke with Dawncloud, but she needed to talk with him. She cleared her throat, and her parents pricked their ears, turning to her.

"Yes, Newleaf?" asked Nightpelt.

She looked at her mother uncomfortably; luckily, that was all her mother needed to know she needed to speak with her father alone. "Dad, I didn't like how you fought for hunting rights in the river. Nor was I thrilled when you wanted to keep hunting in the moorland."

"Where else are we supposed to hunt?" he asked her dryly, and she knew he was not in any way pleased that his own daughter was criticizing his way of leading.

"How about_ here_, where we're supposed to hunt, the place StarClan gave us instead of stealing other Clans' grounds? This is what Brokenstar did. You want to be another Brokenstar?" she hissed, fur beginning to bristle. "You promised to make ShadowClan better. Is this better? We want _peace_, Dad. We don't want to fight anymore for many moons."

"Well, if you think you can do better as leader, go ahead," he growled. "Then you can watch your Clanmates starve because you were too selfish to leave it to your father."

Selfish! Her father thought her _selfish_? All she ever thought of was her Clanmates; her friends, her family. How could he think this? Newleaf's eyes flashed with fury, and she whipped around without another word.

_Selfish. _Her, selfish. The very idea was impossible. All she ever thought about was others! She only wanted to warn her father, to tell him not to take the same paths as Brokenstar. At first, she'd known not to worry; Nightpelt was her father, and he most certainly was nothing like the bloodthirsty leader. Now, she wasn't so sure. Now Nightpelt wanted to hunt in the moorlands and didn't want to bring WindClan back, and…. This was all wrong!

_Selfish. _Was her father teasing? No, his eyes hadn't betrayed any amusement or affection. He'd meant it. But she didn't want to be leader; she just wanted there to be peace and quiet for once. She didn't want to worry about hunting rights or patrols or anything like that.

Wearily, Newleaf pushed into the warriors' den and curled up next to Darkwing. He blinked up at her, and asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing," she muttered, scowling.

Her friend sighed and stretched, peering at her curiously, though Newleaf only wanted him to shut up and go to sleep. But with Darkwing, that was hardly possible. "C'mon, Newleaf. You and I both know it isn't "nothing". Why don't you tell me?"

_Because I don't have to. _She thought, and immediately pushed it away. This was Darkwing. Her best friend. She could trust him absolutely with her life, and if she trusted him with her own life, then she could rely on him for anything else, right? She sat up and looked up at him, tail twitching in annoyance. "It's Nightpelt."

"You told him, didn't you." It was a statement, not a question. "I told you, Newleaf, leave him be! He's your father, and he knows better than Brokenstar how to lead the Clan. You have to trust him to make good decisions for the Clan."

She opened her mouth to argue that leaving WindClan deserted was not, in fact, better for the Clan, as each Clan needed one another to survive, but Darkwing quickly cut her short. "The _Clan_, Newleaf. I know you have this ideal that everything should be perfect, no war, no starvation, no quarrels, but that just doesn't seem possible, you know? It isn't the way of the warrior cats."

"So you're a leader now?" she growled impatiently. "It isn't an _ideal_, Darkwing. It can happen. We just need to work on –"

"I doubt it's anything more than an ideal. There will always be some sort of disagreement –"

"No there won't, because I –"

"You always think you can fix things, Newleaf. Maybe that's pride. Maybe –"

"I'm_ not_ prideful; I just do what must be done because there's no one else willing to do it!"

A heavy silence hung in the air as she said the last words and they just looked at each other, anger and annoyance smoldering in both pairs of blue eyes. Newleaf had stood and her black-and-white fur was fluffed up and her lips drawn back in a snarl. Darkwing was growling up at her, his eyes flashing cobalt lightning.

Darkwing's voice was quiet and calm now, though he still looked furious. "Maybe, if you'd have given me the chance, I could've done just what you did. Maybe, if you payed me any attention, you'd have admired me for something more than just my fighting skill!"

His words stung like a bee sting, and she winced as the pain pierced her heart. She began to make an apology, her voice choking, but he took no notice of it. He stood and brushed past her, out of the den and into the late night, not looking back.

* * *

She didn't sleep at all. How could she, if she and Darkwing were in such a fight? Newleaf realized that this was the most serious argument she'd ever had with him. All the other ones before now were silly and kit-like, but this argument was… this was the angriest she'd ever been with him, and that had been the angriest she'd ever seen him with her. She had once thought that Darkwing would understand everything that was going on in her life, but now… What was going on, to raise this kind of tension between them? Not even the stress of Brokenstar's rule had made them turn on one another like this. So why now, when there was peace and tranquility between the Clans?

The sun made her squint as she stretched, washing herself. She realized today was when her father would receive his nine lives from StarClan. It was a trip only he and Runningnose would make.

She padded out of the den, hoping to catch them before they set out. She wanted to apologize to Nightpelt for last night.

A thought was nagging at the back of her mind, but she wasn't ready to face him yet. Not so soon. The argument with her father was one thing; she just needed to say the words, and she was forgiven. Nightpelt wasn't cruel. Especially not to his own daughter. But apologizing to Darkwing needed to wait until both of them had cooled down a bit.

She knew she was only delaying her apology because she was afraid Darkwing wouldn't forgive her. _Mouse-brain, _she scolded herself. _Don't you know Darkwing at all? He doesn't hold grudges. Forgive and forget, that's him. _

Newleaf still wasn't anxious to apologize to her friend though. She saw Nightpelt and Runningnose padding toward the camp entrance, and hurried to them. "Nightpelt! Wait!"

Her father turned around slowly and narrowed his eyes as she came near. "What is it, Newleaf? Make it quick; I need to share tongues with our warrior ancestors."

"It won't take long at all." She mewed, looking down at her paws. "I wanted to apologize for last night. It wasn't my place to speak. I forget you're my leader as well as my father now."

"You forget yourself too much, Newleaf," she glanced up in surprise as she heard Nightpelt purr. "But that isn't your fault. You just need to learn to hold your tongue!"

She dipped her head. "Yes, Father. I'm sorry again. I didn't mean to criticize you. I only wanted –"

"What was right," he finished for her, and cuffed her ear affectionately. "I know, I know."

Newleaf nodded. "Right. Well, um, good luck, Dad!" She touched noses with him, purring. "You'll be a great leader."

"Next time you see me, I'll be Nightstar."

"I'm proud of you," she whispered. "Now, go! Don't keep StarClan waiting!"

* * *

Newleaf joined the sunhigh patrol, but she was too stressed to be focused. She had apologized to her father; now she needed to say those words to Darkwing too. But apologizing to Darkwing would be much harder, she knew that very well.

Darkwing hadn't come back in camp. She'd gone out of her mind with worry, but her impatience just made her get out into the forest. She'd joined the patrol to look for Darkwing, not to check borders.

Now they were heading back home, and his scent wafted up into her nostrils. Fresh scent. He'd gone home. Good.

But she was dreading seeing him again. Every step towards camp was torture, because she knew that his nest was right next to hers, and she couldn't get away from that. She knew that the sooner she apologized, the better, but she was afraid to be rejected, as stupid as it was. Darkwing wasn't like that. So why was she delaying?

Once she set foot in camp, she saw Darkwing, lying in the shadows, blue eyes glinting as they watched her. Unsettled, she ran to the nursery to speak with Foxfur. Her former mentor was lying in a comfortable nest of moss. Flintfang was purring to her quietly, so Newleaf backed away politely. Obviously the two wanted to be alone.

She gazed at Darkwing, debating whether or not to pad up to him. She mustered her courage and walked up to him. "Hi."

"Hey," he replied gruffly, and she noticed how his muscles had tensed as she neared him.

Silence.

Then:

"I'm sorry," both mewed at the same time.

Newleaf shook her head. "My fault. I'm too stubborn. I –"

"Forget it, Newleaf." He whispered. "We were both acting rashly last night. We weren't careful with our words. Me especially."

"But you were right," she admitted. "I should've let Nightpelt be. He's leader. It's his decision."

"True," he meowed. "But I wasn't looking at things from your point of view. I just saw that Brokenstar was gone, so what was there to fix?"

"Maybe nothing," she said. "Still, I was too worked up last night. Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Friends?"

Darkwing grinned, his black fur swaying in the light afternoon breeze. "Now who ever said we weren't friends?"

**No, not done yet! Still have more chapters than I anticipated. Please review! The reviews motivate me. ;)**

**Also, in the poll, Newleaf is in the lead! I think that's interesting; usually people don't really like the main character. If you haven't voted, I'd love some more votes!**

**_Whitestar_: No worries; it happens! Thanks for reviewing, though.**

**_Queen Of The Pens_: I still love The Hunger Games.**

**_Pencil_: Things are slowing down a bit, but I have to prolong this story because there's ONE more important thing that'll happen...**

**Everyone else: Thank you for reviewing!**

_**~Coqui**_**'s _Song_**


	39. Thunderpath

**So, it's my birthday! Why I'm updating on my birthday is a mystery. You should be giving ME gifts, and yet I give YOU a gift by updating. Whatever. This chapter I'm more satisfied with, so I'm happy to update!**

**Thank you to reviewers: Icethroat, S. Elise, Queen Of The Pens, fallenshadow, and Pencil**

Chapter Thirty-Eight

_The days passed quickly after that. _Nightstar had been approved by StarClan and received his nine lives, though when the Clan shouted his name to the heavens, Newleaf caught the faintest flicker of doubt in his eyes, a flicker directed only at Runningnose, but if the medicine cat noticed this waver in Nightstar's confidence, he hadn't acknowledged it. Perhaps it was better he didn't, because the Clan would easily panic if their new leader, who was expected to be strong, confident, brave, and wise, was really doubting if he would be able to piece the shattered Clan together again.

She and Darkwing, though they had reconciled with each other, still retained their new tense relationship. They hadn't argued again, but there was still something there that made each of them stiffen their muscles if the other commented anything of the politics in the Clan. So Newleaf steered clear of mentioning her opinions and concerns about Nightstar's new rule, and Darkwing did the same in order not to provoke each other. It was hard, though, to not talk about Nightstar, when that was all the ShadowClan cats spoke of. So now often they only skirted around each other, exchanging a friendly nod, a blue gaze.

_It's stupid, really, _thought Newleaf as she padded through the forest near the ThunderClan border. The autumn leaves crunched under her paws, but she had no need to be stealthy. She wasn't hunting. Nor was she patrolling the borders. She was merely taking her mind off of things.

The tension between her and Darkwing was not the only one to arise. It had become news that ThunderClan had already brought back WindClan, and, in fact, the following day WindClan had chased away ShadowClan hunters.

A cold breeze buffeted her white chest fur, and she shivered. And at this very moment it came to her: she was completely alone. All the tensions rising –she didn't even confide in her bother anymore; she'd gotten so used to going to Darkwing first –and not even patrols could reassure her of her importance in the Clan.

_I can be alone, _she assured herself as another fiercely cold wind blasted her. _I can be self-sufficient. _

Perhaps, in a way, she always was, anyway. So what was the difference?

Now, for the first time, she felt truly lonely. That was the difference.

Another gust of the bitter wind.

_This will be the last wind that knocks the leaf-fall leaves off the trees, _Newleaf thought as she saw many red, brown, and golden-colored leaves break free of their bonds to the trees. They swirled in the wind, a mixture of brown and red and gold, dappling the air before settling gently on the forest floor to instead dapple the ground. _This is the last wind of leaf-fall, and the first wind of leaf-bare._

She knew nothing of this new season; she'd been born in late newleaf, the last of her litter to be born. She knew nothing of cold, no knowledge of how to survive it. All she knew was the warm, humid air of greenleaf, and the chilly breeze of leaf-fall. This freezing blast was something entirely different.

And so there she was, musing over recent occurrences in the Clan, when out of nowhere a vicious growl snapped her mind back into reality. What was she thinking, straying so close to the ThunderClan border, practically begging to be caught by an enemy patrol.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Tigerclaw, who she knew to be ThunderClan's new deputy. His claws were already unsheathed, his fur bristled.

How mouse-brained she was! A second ThunderClan cat lumbered out of the trees, a dark brown tabby. She didn't know this cat, but he should be a warrior, seeing his large size.

She opened her mouth to reply, "I was just taking a stroll –" A lousy excuse, but it was the truth.

"You mean a hunt," said the tabby whose name she didn't know, "on_ our_ territory."

"I'm not on your territory!" she protested indignantly, but it squeaked like a kit's. "I'm on my side of the border."

"But you plan to cross it," Tigerclaw growled.

"No!" she snapped. "If I planned to cross it, don't you think I'd have other warriors with me?"

"Who knows if you do?" asked Tigerclaw. "I don't."

"But _I_ do, and, near the Thunderpath or no, I'm on my own territory on my own!" Newleaf hissed, nearly getting ready for a fight she was sure she wouldn't win. The last time she had faced Tigerclaw, she was a mere apprentice and she'd had Darkwing and Littlecloud to back her up. But she was alone. And there was another ThunderClan cat with him. She was a skilled fighter; she knew that, but her swiftness and cunning –would it all be overthrown with Tigerclaw's brute strength and his strength of numbers?

"I doubt it," he huffed, and turned to the brown tabby. "Dustpaw, send for Bluestar. Tell her there are ShadowClan cats waiting for her near the burned ash tree."

"Yes, Tigerclaw," said the tabby, and Newleaf couldn't help wonder how he was an apprentice when he was nearly larger than Fireheart, and no doubt older than the flame-pelted ThunderClan warrior. Dustpaw rushed off.

"So what will you do with me?" she asked calmly and coldly, holding her head high.

"Nothing," snarled another voice, and she turned in surprise to see Darkwing stalking out of the shadows. His black pelt seemed a shadow itself, and Newleaf knew she'd never stop admiring it, the way it blended in the shade. "He'll do nothing."

He and Tigerclaw locked gazes, and the ThunderClan deputy seemed know this was no time for a conflict with the other Clan. He dipped his head. "Very well. I'll let you go. You've done your part anyway."

_What does he mean, 'done your part'? _Newleaf thought uneasily, and realized this was another of his schemes, just like the one he forced them to when they were following him, spying on ThunderClan for Brokenstar.

They kept staring at each other until Tigerclaw snapped his jaws. "Go! This will be the only time I won't kill you."

_Why? Why? _She thought as she flinched away from his dripping jaws and quickly whipped around and ran to the trees to the tunnel, Darkwing nudging her along whenever she slowed to ponder on what had just happened.

They skimmed through the tunnel, using their whiskers to guide them, hardly cringing whenever a monster rolled over them. Newleaf rushed out of the tunnel when she saw the small dot of light on the other end.

"What were you thinking?" Darkwing demanded once they were safely on the other side with no worry about Tigerclaw following them. "You could've been killed!"

"As usual!" she snorted. "Name one instance in which we _haven't_ been close to death."

She knew it infuriated him that he couldn't, and this caused a smile to burst on her lips, for she was unable to contain her relief and amusement any longer. But his blue eyes blazed. He was not amused. "Why'd you go on your own anyway?"

"I was thinking," she muttered, not looking at him, frowning now.

"About what?" he pressed.

"Just thinking," she replied vaguely, and shrugged, wandering away from him, sniffing the air for a scent of prey.

He caught up with her. "Well, could you do it somewhere that_ isn't_ near the ThunderClan border?"

Newleaf shrugged. "I dunno. My thoughts are clear there."

Darkwing sighed, but didn't say any more, only scenting the air. "No prey."

"No," she agreed, and suddenly thought maybe this tension that had been in their stiff muscles was only her imagination, that he was still just as much he friend as he used to be. And even if it wasn't all in her head, surely she could confide in him as usual?

It didn't matter. She was glad to find that he still cared about her. _But why wouldn't he? I am his friend, after all. Why wouldn't he care about me?_

"Darkwing," she meowed uncomfortably, shifting her position away from him.

"Yeah?"

She was reluctant, but what Tigerclaw had said was really bothering her, and he was there too, so it was only sensible if she discussed it with him. "What do you think Tigerclaw meant when he told us that we'd done our part?"

A flash of surprise entered the black tom's eyes, and he thought for a while before answering. "I don't know. Maybe he was referring to when he found us spying on him…?"

"I don't think so. This sounded recent, like he had some new scheme to carry through, but what?"

Darkwing shook his head, perplexed. He leaned back leisurely. "But does it really matter? We aren't ThunderClan. It only impacts them, whatever he's planning."

"We're a part of it too, Darkwing. We're a piece of his plan, and by the way he said it, it was as if we were important, otherwise it would be silly to say there were ShadowClan intruders if there were none…." She lost hold of what she was trying to say, but Darkwing seemed to understand, but he was shaking his head.

"But we've done our part already, he said so. What does it matter?"

"I don't like being toyed with," she growled. "I'd had enough of that under Brokenstar."

"Let it be known Newleaf doesn't like to be taken for a fool," he muttered. "Still, what can we do? This is _ThunderClan_, Newleaf, not ShadowClan. This won't be as easy as throwing out Brokenstar."

She flinched. He had a point there. She sighed. "I don't know."

"Don't think about it," he mewed stiffly. "It'll only worry you and keep you up at night. You won't be of use at all."

_Of use? _She thought angrily. _Of use? That's all I am? Just a warrior? I'm not your friend, then?_

She kept these raging thoughts to herself, but nearly attacked him with these words. Newleaf had to bite her tongue to stop them from spilling out. She spun round without another word and stalked away.

* * *

The brief feeling of companionship ended, leaving her to feel lonelier than ever. Darkwing hadn't even known he'd said the wrong thing; what would happen if he did know? Would he chase after her and apologize? Or would he be silent and angry, giving her the cold shoulder? He surely hadn't done either of those as of yet.

Suddenly an agonized shriek pierced the air, and every single one of Newleaf's hairs stood on end. Not Darkwing, but definitely a cat in pain. She was still near the Thunderpath, and she stood on the verge, surveying the stinky stone path. A ThunderClan cat.

She wanted to rush across the path to help, but she doubted she would be very welcome. And Tigerclaw was surely still lingering around there, near the burned ash. Instead she turned her paws inward to her own territory.

A scent hit the roof of her mouth as she walked away from the path, though the shriek still rang in her ears. She immediately crouched, instinctively edging to the shadows. A mouse. She stalked quietly up to it and killed it with cold swiftness.

She turned to camp and padded through the pine forest. She entered the camp and threw the mouse on the fresh-kill pile, not taking any herself. What had happened on the Thunderpath? Obviously, whatever Tigerclaw had been planning, either worked or failed. But if it worked, why had he wanted to injure –and potentially kill –a cat from his own Clan?

_You think too much, _she told herself, realizing Darkwing was right about that –that she pondered about things much too deeply, and should sometimes accept things without question. _But if I did that, I wouldn't be _me_. _

She hesitated near the nursery, wondering if she should go in and speak with Foxfur, but decided against it. Foxfur was tired enough without her worrying about what was happening in ThunderClan. Instead she turned to the warriors' den and settled in her nest there, trying to find warmth.

_You're going to sleep. Fall asleep. Fall asleep. _She ordered herself again and again, as the shriek repeated itself in her mind. She wanted to bury her ears, but it wasn't her ears hearing it; it was her mind recalling it. _Fall asleep. Fall asleep._ She forced herself not to think about it. _Fall asleep. Fall asleep._ That was her last thought before going under the comfort of the darkness of sleep.

**So. Thank you for reading. Can you guess what happened at the Thunderpath? :)**

**I think I've already replied to your reviews in PMs, so I needn't do it her. Plus, I'm in a rush to get ready for my Quince...**

**Please review!**

**~Coqui's Song**


	40. Alone

**So, it's been nearly three weeks since I've last updated. *Gasps* I've never made you wait so long! I'm so sorry! But though I hope you enjoy this chapter, it isn't my favorite. The story is winding down, but I did manage to squeeze a cliffhanger out of my brain. Aren't I great? Anyway, I think this story has only two more chapters left, and then an epilogue. Sorry for long-time fans of Newleaf!**

**Oh, and before I forget, everyone who guessed what happened was Cinderpaw's accident... you are absolutely CORRECT! *throws Cinderpelt plushies to all***

**Thank you to my amazing reviewers: Icethroat21, Queen Of The Pens, S. Elise, Pencil37, Nightfeather12, and Reviewer**

Chapter Thirty-Nine

_The moonlight washed the ShadowClan pines _with silver, setting Newleaf's white fur alight. She flicked her tail and smiled as she eagerly set her paws on the scent trail of a mouse. She was hunting alone to be alone, not because she was ordered to hunt.

After her discussion with Darkwing near the Thunderpath, that day when she'd heard the unnerving screech which suggested Tigerclaw was up to no good, she'd been spending more and more time by herself. And she realized… she didn't feel lonely anymore. Her thoughts kept her company, and the feeling of loneliness that had dragged in her pawsteps or in glowed her gaze had gone away completely, even if she hardly spent time with Darkwing, Foxfur, or Littlecloud. But still something compelled her to talk with Darkwing about it again. The discussion had not been closed; he'd only ignored it, and she'd taken it as an insult. She decided to talk with him after her hunt.

The scent of the pines was almost overpowering; she was glad for that, as the mouse wouldn't know she was hiding in the shadow, eyes glinting as they watched their prey. She flexed her claws in anticipation of the catch, and sprang. The mouse was dead in less than a heartbeat later. Newleaf stood, shook her fur and turned in the direction of the camp.

She twitched her ears as she heard the distant hoot of an owl, and sped up, not wanting to know if the owl would be flying near her. She entered the camp, which still buzzed with activity, despite it being late at night. A cold breeze made her flinch as the wind pierced her still greenleaf-thin fur. Puffs of breath escaped her and froze in the cold air as she started to walk more slowly, catching her breath.

Darkwing was lying stretched out in the shadows, his black fur blending so all you could see of him were his dark blue eyes, luminous in the night. She gave him a nod, and put the mouse on the fresh-kill pile. Then she hurried over to him. "I have to talk to you."

He glanced up at her and stood. "Okay. What about?"

"That day near the Thunderpath," she growled, narrowing her eyes.

He flicked his tail irritably and scoffed. "We already talked about that. What is there to talk about? I told you, Tigerclaw's plan, whatever it was, has already been executed. There's no reason to keep worrying about it. You need to concentrate on being the best warrior you can be."

"Oh? Is that it, then?" she asked, her voice deceptively gentle and calm, but there was an edge of mockery in it. "That's all we need to do. Be the best warriors we can be. Yes, let's forget about all this Tigerclaw nonsense, because we're no part of it anyway. That is such fox-dung, Darkwing! In case you didn't notice, we _were _a part of it."

"But not anymore. We don't need to worry about the other Clans anymore, Newleaf. Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned with the battle we might fight with WindClan to gain some more hunting grounds?" Darkwing's gaze held hers levelly.

She scowled. "Fine. I'll let it lie. But so help me, Darkwing, if Tigerclaw is planning something so much as _half _as bad as what Brokenstar did to us, it's on _your_ shoulders." Newleaf added, "And I will be more concerned with the battle. But not in the way you presume."

"You're going to try to stop it," he sighed.

"Exactly," she stated, then narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to help. You probably don't want to, anyway. After all, you just _so_ loyal to ShadowClan now."

"What's wrong with being loyal to my Clan? It's better than being here just to stick my nose in all of the other Clans' business!" he hissed, baring his teeth in her face.

Her claws slid out and she snarled back in rage, hiding how his words had really pierced her. "It's more than that, and you know it!"

Calmness as if a frightening storm had just passed came over the two of them, and Darkwing mewed, coolly, though anger still in his gaze, "But is it really?"

Did he always do this? Get calm just as she was firing up with fury? It was more than irritating. It was truthfully more infuriating than a tick, but it was impossible to unleash her rage to him if he was so calm. Newleaf took several deep breaths to cool her temper before she replied. "Yes, Darkwing. It is. At least to me. I don't know what you think anymore."

"Look, Newleaf," Darkwing began slowly, obviously choosing his words carefully so as not to anger her further. "I know that you're sensitive about this. I am too. Brokenstar ordered us to fight WindClan soon after we were weaned, and our littermates died. Mudpaw was my brother, and Sunpaw –she was my other best friend."

She noticed he got stuck on Sunpaw's name, as if she'd be jealous that he had another close friend before they became so close. Jealous. Honestly! What a ridiculous thing! Newleaf had never felt such a thing as envy. Sunpaw had been her friend too. Newleaf hadn't talked with her that often, but they had been good friends in the nursery. "And?" she prompted, flicking her tail, waiting for him to get to the point.

"And we grieve for Badgerpaw and Squirrelpaw. So I know you'll have doubts about the upcoming battles for WindClan land, because it brings back bad memories. But Brokenstar's gone now, and you're lucky that your father is leader now. Nightstar's a good leader, so why shouldn't we obey him? And you especially. He's your father –"

"As you keep reminding me," muttered Newleaf bad-temperedly, then spoke up more loudly. "I know he's my father! Why do you keep telling me?"

"Because you should respect him."

"And who says I don't?" she snapped. "I don't like this, Darkwing. WindClan has only just come back. Is it really the right thing to drive them back out again? And in leaf-bare?"

"If it's better for the Clan's hunting –"

"No!" Newleaf's tail lashed once, swiftly and sharply. She looked at this Darkwing –this Darkwing that was barely recognizable, the one who thought along with the popular philosophy instead of the_ right_ philosophy. She curled her lip in a silent snarl at him, disgusted by this sight of the cat which had been her closest adviser, her closest friend. "I liked you better when you thought for yourself."

He flinched, but she didn't care. She whipped around and stalked off to the warriors' den.

* * *

Littlecloud raised his head in confusion as she brushed past him to her nest. The moment he gazed into her harsh blue eyes, he seemed to understand. He sighed. "Another argument with Darkwing?"

She scowled. "How'd you guess?"

He looked at her up and down. "You body language just screams 'I've just had an argument with Darkwing, so unless you want your ears clawed off, you'd best leave me alone.'" Littlecloud paused, almost as if unsure if _he'd _get his ears clawed off for bothering her, then seemed to think better of it. "So what happened?"

"We were talking about the battle," she sighed. "And –you know me. I want to stop it, and we argued about what was right for the Clan."

"It was worse than that, though," he suggested. "You must've insulted each other, or something, because you always argue with each other. Darkwing's never afraid to disagree with you, you know, even if it's not too often, and you listen to his opinions. It's not often that you insult us for our thoughts, that's for sure, so what else happened?"

"I don't really feel like talking about it," she muttered, but she slowly felt her anger dissipate. "It's just –he thinks that we should follow with Nightstar, and I don't. I need a second opinion, I suppose. What do you think, Littlecloud?"

He blinked his glowing amber eyes and thought for a moment. "I think we should follow along with what you think, even if you change your mind. You haven't failed us yet, Newleaf. And I don't think you will."

"You really think so?" she asked quietly, suddenly knowing she'd been too harsh with Darkwing. He'd only been trying to express his opinions with her, his best friend, and she'd shut them out as if they weren't worth the time. She was wrong. Darkwing deserved to be heard; after all, wasn't his loyalty to her –not to her father– unwavering? He'd said it before, and it burned in his eyes as he argued with her, his loyalty. She hadn't paid attention to it, but it was there, sending a clear message: _Even if I don't agree with you, I'll still follow you._ He'd proved it several times to her, didn't he?

_"Your heart is in the right place, Newleaf." _Squirrelpaw, Badgerpaw, and Littlecloud's voices intermixed with each other's, saying the exact same words at the exact same time, which brought a chill down her spine, because while two of them were in StarClan, whispering this message to her ears, the other was alive, right next to her, watching her with sympathy in his eyes.

"Okay," she squeaked, then curled up in her nest, watching Darkwing, still outside in the cold night, staring inside the warriors' den back at her. His ears were alert, his body tense, so Newleaf figured he must be on guard duty.

Still, Newleaf saw his eyes had not left the warriors' den even as she slipped into sleep.

* * *

A high-pitched screech jerked Newleaf awake, and she whipped her head to see Darkwing blinking sleepily next to her. He must've gone to sleep not long ago, because he was straining to open his eyes. "What's happening?" she demanded.

"I don't know," he slurred, too sluggish to remember they had been fighting, though she had forgiven him without his apology, without his consent. It'd been her fault anyway. "Injury?"

"I don't think so," she meowed, and sprung out of her nest and flew out of the den. The sky was only just beginning to lighten; there was only a small streak of orange in the horizon. What was going on so early in the morning? She'd barely gotten enough sleep herself, not to mention poor Darkwing!

Another piercing screech, and she flinched. It brought back those horrible memories of that day on the Thunderpath –and even worse, the day that they fought the battle with WindClan, driving the Clan out, her littermates killed by Brokenstar's greed for territory and blood, not because of those WindClan warriors. They'd just been defending themselves; though why defend yourself to kits? It didn't matter now. The damage had already been done, and the wound was healing. Still, if Nightstar wished, he might reopen the wound. Though Newleaf didn't want that, Darkwing's unspoken words echoed in her mind: _Even if I don't agree with you, I'll still follow you. _ Was he trying to tell her something more?

"What's happening?" she called to Runningnose, who was racing past her at the speed of a rabbit.

His head whirled around, his eyes wild as he rushed to the nursery. "Foxfur's kitting!"

**See? Cliffie! **

**Anyway, to those of you who have voted on the poll for this story, answer me who your favorite characters are in this story, and why. I won't pick favorites, but if you ask me, I'll PM you. Just don't blurt it out, 'kay?**

**Reviewer: How'd you guess? You saw my profile, didn't you? Yes, I love Percy Jackson and the Olympians. PJO rocks! It's just as good as Warriors!**

**Please review!**

**~_Coqui's Song_**


	41. Kits

**Meh, all I have to say: I'm on summer vacation, so I might update more frequently, this story is almost done, and I will probably be writing a sequel. Want one? Tell me in a review. **

**Thank you to my kind reviewers: Pencil37, VampireLuvr1, ilfbehwh, Queen Of The Pens, ivyclan moonblossom, Icethroat21, tufted titmouse, S. Elise, and SilverWolf716**

Chapter Forty

_Pacing around the camp anxiously, she _caught sight of Littlecloud and Darkwing. She flicked her tail, beckoning them. Littlecloud came with no hesitation, while Darkwing paused, blinking a few times before padding up to her slowly.

It was frigid out; colder than any day in leaf-bare so far. The sun was only just over the horizon, but the few rays that stretched away from it offered no warmth. It may as well have been night, because the sun was as cold as the moon, giving off more light, a golden light that should've held some sort of heat, but had none. Newleaf wished it really was night. At least she could see her warrior ancestors then.

_But we're still with you, _insisted Squirrelpaw's voice. _Always will be with you._

_I know, Squirrelpaw._

Frost crunched under her paws as Newleaf padded over to meet them.

"I can't believe Foxfur's kitting already," Littlecloud mewed. "Isn't it a bit early?"

"I think so," she sighed, clawing the frozen grass stalks nervously. "Guys, what if… if Foxfur…"

"She'll be fine," Darkwing soothed, his black pelt barely showing his tension with ruffled fur. He glanced quickly to the nursery, dark eyes flashing with concern.

"Right," Newleaf agreed swiftly. "Right. Foxfur's tough and strong. She'll be fine."

Still, Runningnose hadn't come out of the nursery yet, and she couldn't help but wonder about the most horrible things that could happen to her friend. Newleaf had heard of cases when the queen died giving birth to her kits, and she fiercely hoped Foxfur wouldn't be one of them. The fox-colored queen was too young, too kind-hearted, too strong.

"Let's go on a patrol," suggested Newleaf. "Better than worrying our pelts off here. We can't do anything."

Darkwing hesitated. "I'd rather hunt."

"Go hunt, then," Newleaf said coldly, "you don't have to be stuck to me like our tails were joined. I hunted yesterday, and to be honest I've hunted too much for my liking recently. I'm ready for a patrol."

"Okay," Darkwing mewed. "I'll hunt while we patrol."

"What is it, Darkwing?" she narrowed her eyes. "You don't trust me near the borders."

"Of course I trust you!" he replied blatantly. "I just think we should be careful about the ThunderClan border."

"Don't turn it into warning me about Tigerclaw!"she hissed. "I already promised to leave it alone. I just want to patrol. What's wrong with that?"

He sighed. "Nothing."

"I should hope so," she growled, turning away and padding to the camp entrance. As she passed Cinderfur, the new deputy, she called out that they were going on patrol. The elderly dark gray tom nodded silently.

The cold burst of wind buffeted Newleaf's fur, and she narrowed her eyes against it. The freezing air chilled her to the bone, but she broke into a sprint, hoping to warm herself. As usual, Darkwing and Littlecloud struggled to keep up her brisk pace, and she slowed and instead let them set the pace.

The soft ground of the marshes made her pads cold, and though usually she loved hunting frogs here, now the cool ground was not welcome. _It's official. I hate leaf-bare. _

They crossed through the tunnel and marked their borders. ThunderClan had not crossed, and the scent of Tigerclaw was stale. She smelled Fireheart's stale scent as well as the scent of blood and an unfamiliar ThunderClan cat near the burned ash. She shivered. What had happened?

_Stop, _she told herself._ I promised Darkwing I wouldn't think about it. And there are more… immediate things to worry about. _Like the battle looming with WindClan over their grounds. Or Foxfur kitting back at camp. The latter thought fired up her worry again. Why was she so worried recently?

_Because I want Clan life to be perfect, and I know it can never happen. There will always be something for me to try to fix, and never can. _

She snapped out of her thoughts and padded back to her companions. "Nothing much. Let's get back to camp."

"Not yet," reminded Darkwing. "You said I could hunt while we get back."

"Hunt then!" she snapped. "I just need to get back to camp."

"Whoa," said Littlecloud. "Cool down, Newleaf. We know you need to see Foxfur. Go. I'll hunt with Darkwing."

She hesitated. She hadn't expected to get her way quite so easily, and part of her admitted, as infuriating as Darkwing was, she liked arguing with him –but only when they were silly little arguments. The ones she'd been have with him lately were not the ones she enjoyed. She gazed up at Darkwing and realized she _wanted_ him to come to camp with her. No, it wasn't because she felt lonely. But she wanted her friend to accompany her, so even if she didn't feel lonely, she knew she still had friends, was still important.

"Okay," she sighed, then turned slowly and padded in the direction of the ShadowClan camp.

* * *

The camp was quiet. Foxfur was no longer screeching, which was either very, very good, or horrifically bad.

Runningnose bounded over to her, and she wasted no time. "How's Foxfur?"

"She's fine," he assured her. "Four healthy kits. Two toms, two she-cats."

"Can I see her?" she asked, as a courtesy. She planned on seeing her former mentor either way.

The medicine cat's whiskers twitched. "That's exactly why I came to you. She was asking for you."

"Perfect," she meowed. "Thanks, Runningnose." She brushed past him and tried not to run to the nursery as she felt a burst of happiness and excitement.

She poked her head in the den's entrance, and the achingly familiar smell of milk met her scent glands._ How I wish I had a regular kit-hood. _But she walked in and meowed a greeting to Foxfur.

"Come here," purred the fox-colored queen.

Huddled against the queen's belly were four tiny kits. _Was I really that small?_ Newleaf gazed at herself. Certainly she was much larger than these newborns, but once they grew to be apprentices, she knew that they'd be larger than her. _No, not that small. I was _smaller_. _

The two toms –one black and one a light brown tabby –squeaked and wriggled closer to Foxfur's belly. One of the she-kits, a reddish ginger like Foxfur herself, was fighting her brothers for more milk, and the other light brown tabby was suckling already.

"They're beautiful," breathed Newleaf. "What have you named them?"

"The black tom is Badgerkit, the brown tabby tom is Owlkit, the ginger she-cat Flamekit," Foxfur listed, the gazed up at her with deep emerald eyes. Newleaf couldn't help think how fierce these names were. "And the tabby she-cat is named Squirrelkit."

The shock nearly blew Newleaf away. "You- you named two of your kits… after my sister… and my brother?"

"Flintfang begged," she teased. "He said I had to name one after Badgerpaw or Squirrelpaw. I know he would have preferred Badgerpaw, and I prefer Squirrelpaw, so I did both."

"Why?" she choked out.

"Why not?" challenged Foxfur. "Your littermates were very brave, and they shouldn't have died at their age."

She gazed at Foxfur. "Thank you. Whether you did it for me or not, I don't care, but thank you."

"I'm not doing this so my kits will replace Badgerpaw and Squirrelpaw," she murmured. "But I do want to compensate for Brokenstar's crimes in some way."

"And you did that," Newleaf meowed. "For that, I thank you."

She licked Foxfur's cheek, and went out of the nursery, where Nightstar was waiting for her. _Everybody needs me today. _

"What is it, Nightstar?"

The ShadowClan leader padded over. "Newleaf, it's come to my attention that some cats from the last battle with WindClan might be uncomfortable going there, especially the kits that were used as apprentices then. You're my daughter, and I know you never like to lie, so I want you to tell me your thoughts."

_Finally! _

"I don't like it," she replied bluntly. "How would you feel, Nightstar, if you were apprenticed at three moons to go to war at four moons? If you had to watch your sister die at your paws, before your very eyes, watching her bleed out onto the grass, hearing her last requests? If you found out your brother died while hiding in the nursery of the enemy Clan? If you had no idea why you were even fighting? Tell me, father, would you be keen to drive the same Clan away again if you knew that all this was not the enemy Clan's fault, but your own leader's?"

As she questioned him, her anger rose, higher and higher, until she was nearly screeching in fury at his ridiculous question. _Uncomfortable? Driving out WindClan again is the last thing I'd _ever _want to do._

"I'd feel very uncomfortable if I were you," she hissed. "But I actually experienced it. You were already a warrior. You have no idea what I felt. Do what you like, Nightstar, but I want you to know that going back is the last thing I would do."

Nightstar blinked his amber eyes in surprise at her outburst; obviously he'd misjudged exactly how she felt about this particular subject."I'm sorry, Newleaf. I didn't know."

_Didn't know what? Exactly how stupid this whole thing is? _She finished silently. She glared at her father. "I don't even know why we need WindClan hunting grounds. We have enough territory. Enough food. If you tell me the reason we need WindClan's territory so much, I'll let you fight WindClan and take back what I said."

He stared at her.

"No answer," she noted. "I thought so."

Newleaf turned and walked briskly to the warriors' den. _Oh, Squirrelpaw. How do I make Nightstar know how wrong this is?_

**I love Newleaf. XD I honestly don't know how I managed not to make her into a Mary-Sue, but the fact that she isn't part of a prophecy, that she has such personality flaws as a huge temper, her rebelliousness, her stubbornness, her sarcasm, the way she doubts herself (well, before now. After Brokenstar left, she's gotten a lot more confident), all help. **

**What do you think of this chapter? And PLEASE, PLEASE tell me: Do you want a sequel? (Yes, Queen, I know you want one, don't tell me again)**

**_ivyclan moonblossom_: ****Don't worry about it. Everyone takes a few breathers from their favorite fics. And I can recommend Percy Jackson & the Olympians. They're good reads as well as Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel. **

_**tufted titmouse**_**: Thank you for reviewing. It makes me so happy that so many people enjoy this story.**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	42. End?

**Well, this is the last official chapter for the story. It isn't my favorite, but it had to be done, as this is what I've planned for Newleaf all along. **

**Thank you to reviewers: The Goddess of Darkness, S. Elise, Sunwillow, tufted titmouse, ilfbehwh, TheVampLuvr, Queen Of The Pens, Icethroat21, SilverWolf716**

Chapter Forty-One

_Newleaf blinked as the harsh sunlight _woke her from her deep slumber. Though the sunlight was bright, again the rays held little warmth.

It had been several days since Foxfur had given birth and she and her father had argued. Foxfur's kits had opened their eyes only yesterday, and she had to admit the little ones were adorable. Already Flamekit seemed the most dominant of the four kits, strutting around as if she were leader. The thought made Newleaf purr as she stood and stretched.

But still, Nightstar insisted on the coming battle. He hadn't ordered to make any preparations, but the rumors that it would come soon were more than tangible. This thought received a frown from Newleaf as she padded carefully out of the warriors' den to visit Foxfur's beautiful kits. She shivered as she took long strides to the nursery and poked her head in.

"Newleaf!" squealed Flamekit in delight. The little ginger she-kit darted to her and started chasing Newleaf's long bushy jet-black tail.

"Hello, Flamekit," she greeted. Though all of Foxfur's kits were wonderful, and she loved Badgerkit and Squirrelkit, Flamekit was the most outgoing and the one who most looked up to Newleaf. "How are your littermates?"

The kit scowled. "Sleeping. Can you believe that?" the ginger kit's blue eyes were stretched wide. Obviously Flamekit had been awake for some time.

"I can," said Newleaf, "because kits should sleep a lot. Why aren't you?"

"I'm not sleepy," Flamekit growled. "When you're asleep you can't do anything fun."

"Well, you should be sleepy!" she countered. "Sleeping _is_ fun. You'll see when you're an apprentice."

"But you're a warrior," the kit grumbled.

"Which means you do as I say," said Newleaf impatiently. "So go sleep!"

Flamekit gave her a vicious glare, scowling. "Fine." She turned and curled up next to Foxfur.

Newleaf huffed. If all kits were like this, she was glad not to have them for a long time. She wasn't patient enough.

"Thanks," whispered Foxfur. "I thought she'd never go back to sleep."

"It was nothing," she replied. "I didn't want to wake up your other kits, and Flamekit must have been awake since before dawn. She's a difficult kit already."

"Tell me about it," Foxfur muttered, and yawned. She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"I'll leave you to sleep, then," she meowed, feeling a bit awkward.

As she left the nursery, she couldn't help the feeling that though she would love to mentor Flamekit, she wouldn't mentor any kit –ever. And she had no idea why. Sure she wasn't patient, but she would _learn_ it, wouldn't she? Or was it something darker?

* * *

She went on a hunting patrol with Darkwing and Marshypool that day. Apparently Cinderfur thought that the apprentice-warriors (yes, they were called _that_ now, as they weren't kits anymore and should be apprentices) should stick together. Littlecloud was back at camp, guarding.

It was weird being in a patrol with Marshypool after all that with Brokenstar. Newleaf and Darkwing were still very wary of her, though she seemed trustworthy.

They made small-talk as they hunted. The best thing about the patrol? She and Darkwing _didn't_ argue. It was such a good day; Newleaf was in the best mood she'd been in a long time.

She should've known it wouldn't last.

As the trio padded back in camp, their jaws stuffed with the prey they'd caught, Newleaf noticed Nightstar on the Boulderpile. He must have just announced that there would be a Clan meeting, because there were still cats flowing out of their dens. She caught sight of Foxfur padding out of the nursery, only to settle down at its entrance, her kits tumbling around each other at her feet. Foxfur snapped a sharp rebuke, and her kits shook off their play-fight and pressed against their mother for warmth.

Newleaf feared that she knew why Nightstar had called the Clan together. She hurried to the fresh-kill pile with Marshypool and Darkwing and left the prey there. She sat near the Boulderpile, gazing up at her father with wide blue eyes.

"Clanmates," the ShadowClan leader called –Newleaf suddenly felt strange calling her father the leader, though he had been for more than half a moon. "You are aware that there has been talk of war with WindClan."

Nightstar had just confirmed her fears with a small hint.

"I am here to confirm that there will be a battle, but we won't be alone this time. We have RiverClan with us –"

Newleaf cut her father off with a yowl of outrage. "RiverClan! How can you do this? After we owe a debt to ThunderClan for helping us drive out Brokenstar?"

"Newleaf, it is not your place to speak against me," warned her father. "We owe ThunderClan a debt. Not WindClan. We aren't going to drive them out; we will only force them to give us some of their territory."

"Why?" she challenged. "Because we are hungry?" Newleaf scowled and tipped her head to the pile of prey behind her. "We're hungry every leaf-bare!"

"You wouldn't know!" some older warriors scorned her. "You're a _kit_."

Darkwing, Littlecloud, and Marshypool pressed against her, showing they supported her. Newleaf whipped around to face the warrior that had spoken and hissed, "I'm_ not_ a kit. And I know because I've heard. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm a mouse-brain."

"I understand your concern, Newleaf," Nightstar meowed, tail twitching irritably, "but Brokenstar left us half-starved. Rabbits run on the moor year-round. We will be able to strengthen ourselves."

"And I assume WindClan is fat?" she yowled sarcastically, and let her voice carry a hint of desperation for her father to understand in her next words. "They're worse off. Nightstar, we shouldn't do this."

"We must do this," Nightstar countered, and left their argument at that. He turned to the rest of the Clan, and Newleaf felt a burst of restlessness. "We must prepare. We attack WindClan in three sunrises, as Crookedstar and I have been planning."

She glared up at her father with such cold azure eyes, she was sure he could've frozen on the spot. Newleaf took a step forward, scowling. Her friends backed away as she hissed, "I see no reason for me to go."

Nightstar had been ignoring her, but at these new words he pricked his ears. "What do you mean?"

"I see no reason for me to go with the attack patrol," she mewed calmly, feeling cold fury raging within.

"Stay and guard the camp, then," Nightstar growled at her. "With every other warrior that agrees with you."

"You didn't let me finish," she snapped. "I see no reason for me to continue being a ShadowClan cat."

This caused more than just a reaction from Nightstar. Many of her Clanmates muttered amongst themselves, some hissing "traitor" under their breath.

Darkwing gazed at her with his dark blue eyes in shock. "W-why?"

It wasn't a snap decision, she realized. In the back of her mind, she had been pondering about this for several days. It had just taken Nightstar's choice to attack WindClan to trigger her decision.

"I am no traitor," she began, snarling. "I only seek the right thing. And if this is what you think you should do, I am no longer helpful. You ignore me now when I was right about Brokenstar. I'm leaving. Attack WindClan, for all I care. But I know that you'll lose. And hopefully it will teach you a lesson. I'm sorry, Nightstar. But you have become too much like Brokenstar for my taste. I would rather you rebuild your Clan before sending it off to attack others. But I'm not leader. You are."

"You think I'm like Brokenstar?" her father demanded, shaking with fury. "Go then! Leave!"

She gave a short nod to him and turned to Darkwing and Littlecloud. "I'm sorry, you two. Good-bye."

She touched noses with her brother, but when she turned to Darkwing, he stepped back, narrowing his eyes. With a teasing tone, he asked, "You leave now? When we finally stopped fighting?"

Newleaf grinned at him and they touched noses. "Sorry."

"You'll come visit, right?" the two toms demanded, which was quite unlike them, and she purred, nodding.

"Not as much as you might want me to. But I will visit, I promise."

Then she turned and said good-bye to Foxfur and her kits, one by one.

"I'll miss you," her former mentor said, and her four kits chorused, "Us too!"

She laughed, and said a short farewell to her mother. Dawncloud demanded that Newleaf stay safe, and not get into any trouble like she usually did. Newleaf smiled. "I probably won't."

After Dawncloud had fussed over her, she nodded farewell to Nightstar, not saying anything to him, and left.

She'd purposely made her goodbyes short, because if she took too much time to reminisce all her adventures, her fortunes and misfortunes, she'd never want to leave her home. But she had to. ShadowClan was not perfect. Darkwing had been right: she was too caught up in ideals. Ideas that would never happen, because a perfect Clan just wasn't possible.

_What a day, _she thought as she padded –for the last time –out of ShadowClan's camp. She checked the sky. _And not even sunhigh yet. _

_Tell me, Newleaf, _Squirrelpaw's voice echoed in her mind. _Are you going to come back? More than just a visit?_

The former ShadowClan cat looked back. _Perhaps. But I don't think so._

**There, you see? I'm sure most of you were taken by surprise, even though I left little hints... I needed to put just ONE last major plot twist before I left. It begged me. Sorry. Next will be the epilogue, and Newleaf will officially be over. And because I'm nice, there WILL be a sequel. It will, of course, be called Greenleaf. **

**Thanks to all Readers/Reviewers.**

_**~Coqui's Song**_


	43. Epilogue

**The epilogue is in Darkwing's POV because I want it to be. XD**

**Thank you to reviewers: Koraki, tufted titmouse, TheVampLuvr, Queen Of The Pens, SilverWolf716, S. Elise, ivyclan moonblossom, Icethroat21, and Smokefrost.**

Epilogue

_A strong breeze made his black _fur sway. He stared at the entrance of the camp, where she had just left, cocking his head, blue eyes narrowed. Darkwing frowned. He hadn't been joking when he asked Newleaf why she was leaving, just when they'd stopped arguing. He knew that she'd wanted to say much more, but he also knew that she couldn't. One look into her electric blue eyes, and Darkwing was sure that the more time she spent in camp, the less she'd want to go. And Darkwing knew that in Newleaf's heart, she felt this was the right thing. To leave. So even though he didn't want his best friend to leave, he let her. Just like he let Sunpaw. But Sunpaw was gone forever. She couldn't come back. Newleaf could, if she liked.

He dragged his gaze away from the ShadowClan camp entrance to glare at his leader, who was now padding up to him, his amber eyes flashing. Darkwing scowled as fiercely as Newleaf, digging his claws into the soft ground. "Yes, Nightstar?"

"I need you to follow Newleaf from a distance to make sure she doesn't warn WindClan of the invasion," his leader said matter-of-factly.

Darkwing stared at Nightstar. He couldn't help it; he may have been quieter about his views than Newleaf, but now Nightstar thought his own daughter would give them away, after she'd said that she allowed him to attack them. So he snapped, "You think Newleaf would give us away? Do you even _remotely_ know your daughter? I bet you she hasn't even thought of it!"

"Just do it, Darkwing!" Nightstar hissed. "Never disobey direct orders."

Taking a deep breath, he turned away from Nighstar and padded out of camp swiftly. Newleaf's scent was still fairly recent, and he could tell she'd been walking, not running. Good. It meant he could catch up to her easily. He started to run –not sprint, because he would tire easily, but he ran fast enough.

Her scent was getting stronger now, and in the distance, he spotted her. She had stopped for a moment to survey ShadowClan territory for the last time. Her white fur was buffeted by the strange wind –Darkwing didn't stop to think _why _it was strange –and he sped up.

As he got closer, he leapt, bowling his best friend over, purring happily. "Newleaf!"

Her muffled, irritated mew sounded under him. "Darkwing, what is the _matter_ with you?" Newleaf shook him off and glared at him, her eyes flashing blue lightning. "And what are you doing here?"

"I followed you," Darkwing panted.

"Yes, I gathered that," she growled sarcastically, her tail lashing in annoyance. "_Why_ did you follow me?"

"Nightstar sent me to tell you not to warn WindClan of our attack," he informed her.

Newleaf stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. Darkwing was wondering exactly what she would say. No doubt she'd start ranting about how impossible her father could be sometimes. But no, her jaw twitched and she started _laughing_.

_Have I missed something? _He wondered in surprise at her outburst of laughter. "Newleaf?"

She was panting with her chuckles by now, and she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I never even thought of doing it. I was just leaving. Did he threaten you when you told him you wouldn't do it? Is that why you're here now?"

Newleaf knew him so well. He smirked. "No, I left because I wanted to say good-bye formally to you. Or…"

"Ha ha," she mewed, then tensed. "What do you mean 'or'?"

"I could leave with you," he suggested.

_"What?"_ Newleaf shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, Darkwing, you'll always be my best friend, but I need you to stay here, in ShadowClan."

He wanted to protest, but one glare from Newleaf, and he was silent. He understood why she wanted him to stay. It was his turn now. He had to work to bring ShadowClan back into the light. Newleaf had done enough. He met her gaze. "Okay."

She nodded, pleased. "Thanks, Darkwing. You're the greatest friend."

"Visit," he reminded her before she began padding away again.

"I will," was her reply, before Newleaf spun around and began to sprint, leaving ShadowClan territory and the life she could have had as a warrior –if only she weren't so independent and rebellious.

He stayed there, sitting in that very spot, long after Newleaf had left ShadowClan territory for good, gazing after her. He knew why the wind had seemed so strange now. It was _warm_, a warm wind in the dead of leaf-bare.

Sunpaw had been right when she had told him in his dreams that Newleaf would bring ShadowClan out of its cold, harsh, bleak leaf-bare. And he had been right to follow Newleaf.

**And that, I think, is the purrrfect ending to Newleaf. Is it not? I would like to thank all of my loyal reviewers first, because you guys took the time to praise the story and boost my self-esteem. :) **

**But I'd also like to thank those who didn't review, but put Newleaf on their story-alert/favorite stories. It's fun looking into random people's profiles and seeing Newleaf on their favorites. I don't think you realize it, but this took me less than a year to write, and now that there's summer before me, hopefully I'll post Greenleaf soon. XD**

**Thanks again,**

_**~Coqui's Song **_


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